Deus Vult (On Break)
by Just a Bad Writer for Fun
Summary: A girl who calls herself Ex, but in reality, is much more than that. What had been sealed within Excalibur - a spirit so Holy that the world felt its disappearance. She will be what changes the fate of the world, setting it down a path leading towards a revolution impossible otherwise. All so that she can accomplish the goal of an eternity - to become the strongest swordswoman.
1. Sword 1

"Excalibur!" – Saying out loud.  
' _Excalibur!_ ' – Thought.  
[ **Boosted Gear** ] – Sacred Gear/Balance Breaker.  
" **Giga Drill Break!** "/' _Giga Drill Break!_ ' – Technique; will not be bolded if it is not being spoken/thought.  
{ **You're a Wizard Harry.** } – Ddraig/Albion/Beast/Other speaking.  
 **Pov:**  
 **X** = Third person.  
 **"name" or ?** = First person.

 **Sword 1: Excalibur**

 **†**  
 **-X-**

 _Gazing up at the darkened sky, clouds gathered before the Heavens and the pitter patter of rain falling down to the Earth against the dirt and the grass, the girl wore a look as serene as an unmoving river; an apathetic expression worn on her face with her eyes half closed, she remained unmoving even as the rain bounced off of her skin and slid down her body and dampened her clothes. Mouth slightly agape, she stood there transfixed on the sky above her, as if it was somehow hypnotizing her, causing her to silently stare towards the Heavens above. Her clothes became drenched due to the rain, which caused it to cling against her flesh in an uncomfortable manner, but that did not bother the girl in the slightest; she did not feel cold nor did she feel wet as lost in thoughts as she was._

 _Staring up into the Heavens, her thoughts racing back and forth in a whirl, she slowly slid the index finger of her left hand down the handle of the sword she carried at her left waist, starting from the pommel. Moving ever so slowly downwards, to the point that one could miss the action due to how slow it was, the finger traced a near straight path down to the crossguard._

 _The wish; or rather, the goal that covered her heart flashed through her mind, interrupting her thoughts and causing her breathing to pause for a moment._

 _To become the strongest swordswoman. The strongest in the way of the sword._

 _That was her being of existence – as known to the girl._

 _However, it wasn't what ruled her life; it did not control her. It was a large part, yes, but there were other things. To experience the world. To help others. To have fun dueling others. To become great, one must have fun – it was something that she always thought to herself, though as for why this thought remained resounding strongly within her, she did not know. However, whether it was true or not mattered little to her; all she ever wished for, was to become the strongest and thus, the path that she must walk has already been planned and laid out for her. Which is why she decided to take detours since a long time ago, to see new sights, to experience new things and people, and to battle powerful opponents. The memory of then, of her deciding to do this, however, has long since been forgotten. Just like every other memory she has once possessed up till this point._

 _At a later time from now, her current memories will also be cut away, fading away into the darkness of the abyss. But this did not mean a thing to her. There was no point to her memories; there was nothing special for her to remember, besides from who she was, the techniques and styles of fighting she has learned, and among a few other things that she has ever known that she holds dear within her chest. There was nothing; she was nothing. However, even then, she held an absolute thought of herself, one that could not be shaken, no matter what may happen from now till the end of time itself._

 _Which was what she was – the strength she possessed and the thoughts circulating around that strength that told her what she was. She might be nothing but an empty vessel, but it was everything to her. Hollow beyond belief, she was who she was; nothing could change that, no matter what may happen from now on._

 _As she watched the sky silently without a care in the world, the pitter patter of rain eventually dimmed, transforming into a light drizzle. The sound of rain hitting the earth turned quieter and quieter. The clouds parted, and the Heavens were uncovered. Beams of light shined down from between the clouds and after minutes of waiting and watching, the sun eventually appeared from between the Heavenly clouds up above within the sky._

 _The girl continued to stare upwards into the Heavens, however. With a single thought towards the future, she stood there, transfixed on the sight. The place she wishes to one day end up. The place where she will end up. To become stronger and stronger, to one day stand at the very top of the world, to stand among the Heavens._

 _It was an exaggerated wish, something that cannot possibly be achieved, for Heaven does not exist. But to the girl, it mattered little. If that is where she said she would go, then that is where she will go. It doesn't matter If the girl of the same appearance, personality, and name that had said that was gone; she would still achieve this._

 _Looking away from the Heavens, her gaze moved forward towards the future. It would rain again, and it would stop. The sun will set again, and it will rise. The moon will rise again, and it will fall. Everything will continue forever and ever, on and on, and so will she. Time was meaningless to her; it was lost on her. There was no end for her; not in sight nor in life. Taking a step forward, she set her golden eyes which shined from the light of the sun onto the horizon, towards a city that was in the far distance. She felt something there. Something that would definitely challenge her. It was a pang in her chest, a beating of her heart, and a tension filling her stomach. To some, they might say it was nervousness. But to her, it was excitement._

 _How difficult this challenge would be, she had no idea. She was confident, however, in her ability to overcome any obstacle and any challenge; no matter what she faced. Even if the world would become her enemy, she had a clear belief in her heart – that no matter what, she will overcome it and come out on top. To some, they would simply say she was arrogant and dismiss her, thinking her an idiot young girl who knew nothing of the world. But, to her? Her honest feelings? She felt as if a divine power flowed through her veins and that it drove her forward and even more forward, past the horizon and beyond what should be humanly possible._

 _With a thin smile worn onto her face, she set off towards this city with a confident stride and a slight hum, her clothes, dry, waving slightly in the air from her movements and from the gentle wind in the air, the girl held no hesitation in her movements, and only pure excitement for what was to come._

 **†**  
 **?**

It had been some time since I had arrived at my destination. However, nothing substantial has happened thus far. During some nights, I felt as if a battle was taking place, but when I followed this feeling, I only found the remnants of battle with nobody else nearby.

There was even one at a Church, though I had no idea why anyone would want to fight in such a sacred place. When I had arrived at the scene, I had found some black feathers, which reminded me of a crow, scattered about here and there, both inside the Church and outside, though it looked cleaned up and turned into a pile and left there, almost forgotten.

The same couldn't be said about the interior of the Church, which was simply dirty and ransacked. It was as if the Church had been abandoned years ago, but who would abandon it?

When I wasn't searching for something interesting, I was either taking a nice walk around the town, playing with the children in the park, or eating.

Sleep didn't matter that much to me, so it wasn't worth talking about.

Still, when will something interesting happen? I was running out of patience. If I couldn't find a good fight within the next few weeks, I think I will move on. But, this night, I have a good feeling. Perhaps something interesting will finally happen?

I can't wait; though I do wish that whoever I fight has a cool technique – it's been some time I think since the last opponent appeared with something interesting to learn. I've already forgotten.

"Now then…" I said out loud in a near whisper, looking over the city from my perch on the top of some building that was three stories tall – a school maybe? "Where will this feeling of excitement take me today?" Wearing a smile on my face, I jumped off from where I sat and disappeared into the night, heading towards wherever this feeling dwelling within me takes me.

 **†**  
 **X**

"H-help me!" A voice called out from the darkness as the sound of heavy footsteps hit against the ground in a hurry, though it wasn't very fast. A priest stumbled out from the darkness, walking awkwardly forward, holding out a hand in the rain and with a face full of despair. His eyes wild, he stared towards the blond-haired Knight of Rias Gremory, Kiba Yuuto, though he did not know this. All he knew, was that a young man had appeared; that someone could help him was now before him.

Yuuto had short blond hair and blue eyes with a mole underneath the left. He currently wore a school uniform, though without the blazer. He was currently in a foul mood, which left its mark via a scowl on his face.

As a Devil, he had spotted the man the moment he had rounded the corner, even though it was dark with the clouds hiding the moon from sight. A normal human would've been spooked when a voice suddenly appeared from the darkness, but because Devils can see in the dark, Yuuto had seen the man the moment he had appeared, so he was not surprised by his voice coming out from his lips. The Devil wore a forlorn gaze as the priest tripped and fell over, blood staining his back. On closer observation, the Knight noticed two cut marks on his back which formed a 'x' and a third going over his right shoulder. The two cuts on his back looked deep due to the amount of blood covering his coat and the length of the cut on the coat, however, the cut on his shoulder was thin, barely managing to cover the shoulder with his blood.

It was clear that it was the two wounds on his back which caused him to fall over – he was most likely dead, though it was still possible for him to be still alive, though unconscious.

"A priest?" Yuuto muttered into the air, trying to figure out what had happened to leave him in such a state – though he didn't really care much for the priest, in fact, he took slight comfort in the death, it could mean that there was an enemy nearby and Yuuto had some stress to take care of. It merely gave him a reason to exert his anger on something. Nothing more, nothing less.

The sound of someone approaching was heard after a few moments of thought and the Knight looked up, realization flaring onto his face from seeing who had approached him. The person who appeared took a moment to recognize him, but when he did, he smiled widely.

"Yahoo! It's been a while, hasn't it? Crappy Devil playboy of shit!" A young man with white hair and red eyes appeared from the same area the priest had appeared from, holding a white blade in his hand. It was shaped like a long Kris, with the blade appearing to be wide with a diamond shaped gap through it and spikes on both edges. It had a feeling of being Holy exuding from the blade, which, understandably, disgusted the Devil. From the feeling the sword gave out, it could only be a Holy Sword. Though Yuuto wasn't completely sure of this, so he didn't comment on it.

The priest wore black robes over a white shirt and pants of the same color. He held the sword in his left hand, though his grip appeared to be loose – but this was simply an illusion. The priest appearing before Yuuto was no beginner with wielding a sword, so even if his grip was loose, he was still a dangerous individual.

Glaring at the priest, Yuuto gnashed his teeth together in anger. "Freed Sellzen! You were still hiding in this town!?" Originally, Yuuto had thought that the profanity spouting priest had left after their first confrontation at the Church at the end of April and it has nearly been two months since then, so the thought of Freed still being around was far from his mind, or anyone else's for that matter. Freed hadn't been spotted even after his appearance at the Church, though it wasn't like he was being sought after, so it's a bit understandable that he had gone unnoticed for this long.

But, that begged the question: why was he cutting down another priest? What was the point of doing something such as this, when they were supposed to be on the same side? And when could Yuuto cut down Freed?

"Bingo, bingo!" The priest spoke with a high-pitched tone. "Ah! It's such a wonderful reunion, to the point that it's bringing tears to my eyes!" Speaking with such a disgusting smile and cocky attitude, the Knight could only grind his teeth together out of anger and annoyance as Freed wiped the imaginary tears out of his right eye.

"Unfortunately, we'll have to cut this little reunion of ours short today." Exclaiming as such, a sword rose out of the ground, hilt first. It was a simple thing to do; after all, it was the ability of Kiba Yuuto's [ **Sword Birth** ] Sacred Gear. Grabbing the hilt, he pulled the sword free from the ground and pointed it at the priest with a glare. "After all, your life will end here." At hearing the blond Knight's threat, the priest erupted into laughter.

"That's perfect Devil scum!" Pointing the sword at the Devil, his smile twisted, he continued. "I was just getting bored of priest hunting!" As the white-haired priest said this, the sword he held started to glow a dim gold. At seeing this, Yuuto gasped in surprise.

"That light… that aura…! It can't be!"

' _It really is a...?_ ' Yuuto thought to himself with disbelief. Before his thoughts could continue, Freed spoke up, interrupting Yuuto's thoughts.

"That's great! Nice timing, really good!" Going into a weird dance, Freed changed his grip on his sword so that he now held it in his right, rather than his left. "This is certainly a present for you! Because of what you did to me with that stupid, crappy Demon Sword of yours! Which is stronger!? Let's find out with this test! Your crappy scum sword of shit, or my EX-CAL-I-BUR!" Yelling out the last word strangely and with weird inflections in his tone, he smiled while letting his tongue roll out of his mouth – a disgusting sight for the blond Knight of Gremory.

But at the use of the word Excalibur, Yuuto could only feel anger surge out from deep within him, much like a flame that can never go out and would only continue to burn down the world, so does his anger only increase.

Yuuto growled in anger and rushed towards the priest with quick steps. Swinging his sword towards his left in a smooth arc, he intended to cut the man in half with one swing of his blade. Because of the fight that they had at the Church, Yuuto knew how strong the priest before him was. He was strong for a human – but thanks to the training he had undergone in order to fight in the Rating Game against Riser Phenex, Yuuto knew he could easily defeat him at his current level!

That was, if he remained at around the same level as when he had fought the priest at the Church.

However, just before the blade had cut through his body, the priest disappeared.

' _Teleportation!? No, wait! This is-!_ ' Thinking this quickly, Yuuto turned around in a panic and held up his blade horizontally, using his left arm to support the blade by placing it against the flat of the sword, instead of holding onto the handle with his other hand, and blocked a downward slash. The sound of metal hitting metal filled the air for a moment as Yuuto took a step back from surprise – at the level of speed Freed had somehow managed to achieve and from the surprising amount of force that he had just displayed. It wasn't possible; after all, how could a human be just as strong or fast as a Devil?

Freed had been both when they had last fought - but Yuuto hadn't gone all out that time. But now they were at the same level, or rather...

"Ha ha haaa!" Freed laughed with a short pause between each laugh, which irritated Yuuto a tad bit. "So it appears as if your crappy piece of shit sword is no match for my EX-CAL-I-BUR!"

"Stop saying it like that, you damned priest!" Yuuto grunted out as he pushed back against the priest, though in doing so, a chip from his blade flew away through the air. Surprised, Yuuto was unable to react as Freed swung his sword again and landed a strike to where the blade had chipped, causing his sword to easily slip through the blade and out to the other side. Luckily enough, Yuuto was able to jump back and only have his shirt slightly cut from the tip of the blade. Clicking his tongue, Yuuto threw the broken sword away as it was now worthless.

"Oh, and why not, you scum playboy of the scum Devils? You jelly!?" Rushing towards the blond Knight, Freed laughed diabolically as he slashed his fragment of Excalibur left and right, destroying each sword Yuuto managed to create with little to no difficulty.

With a grunt, Yuuto managed to redirect a thrust and cause the priest to become unbalanced. Stumbling forward, the priest gasped out loud. ' _With this-!_ ' Thinking as such, Yuuto slashed down at the priest, but at the last moment, he moved faster than the wind and appeared at Yuuto's other side – on the opposite side that he had swung.

Freed swung his blade at Yuuto's exposed side and though Yuuto tried to block the strike in a hurry, he was simply too slow. Though he managed to force the blade away at the last moment, it had managed to leave a thin cut through his left shoulder, causing him to nearly let loose a scream that would've ripped through the air, if he had not bitten down on his tongue to not give the priest the satisfaction. Holding his left shoulder with his right hand, he let his sword drop to the ground with a clang. Blood freely ran down his arm and onto his hand. He could barely feel his left arm after a cut from the Holy Sword Freed wielded. Yuuto scowled, though he did not make a move besides from increasing the strength of his grip on his shoulder with his right hand.

"Hahahaha!" Freed laughed with hardly a care in the world. "How does that feel? Huh!? Tell me, does it feel like Heaven? Because that's where you will be going, you damn Devil!" Then, a face of realization hit him like a sledgehammer through a brick wall. "Oh, wait! Shitty Devils can't go to Heaven! Then, are you prepared to return to the Underworld!?" Laughing, Freed slowly advanced towards the unarmed Devil who could hardly bring himself to move after being damaged from the Holy Sword.

' _My left arm is now useless. I'm in a bit too much pain to properly fight back… but is that going to stop me!?_ '

Freed raised his right arm, letting the tip of the fragment of Excalibur point towards the Heavens. "Die, you Devil scum!" Yelling this out, he slashed down at Yuuto, but with a roll, he evaded the strike. "Argh! Just stay still you piece of shit Devil!"

Creating a sword of flame, Yuuto jumped at Freed, catching him off guard slightly. Aiming for his neck, Yuuto let the blade of his sword be devoured within flame – even if Freed blocked the strike, he would still get scorched. However, instead of blocking, Freed ducked underneath the wild slash. Yuuto's eyes widened just as he coughed up blood. Freed had punched him in the gut. Stumbling back, Yuuto very nearly dropped his sword.

However, Freed did not give him the time to recover. Chasing after him, he unleashed a flurry of attacks. Each blow Yuuto managed to either block or dodge, but he was slowing down. Eventually, he would be hit.

And he was.

Delivering a slash across his chest, Yuuto grunted out in pain as he stumbled back. His breathing came quick and he could barely keep his grip on his sword. With a slash, Freed cut the Fire Sword in half.

Before Yuuto could create another sword, Freed raised his sword, which glowed a dim gold, with a vicious grin.

"Nighty night, Devil scum!"

Swinging his arm down, he slashed the air in two. At the speed it was going, even if Yuuto moved or created a sword, he wouldn't escape unscathed; and another hit from the Holy Sword would most likely take down Yuuto, allowing him to easily be killed thereafter. There was really nothing he could do. As the blade raced towards Yuuto, he forced himself to stare into the eyes of Freed. He'd be damned if he died again with his eyes closed. He truly believed that in this moment, he would die.

However, before the blade could reach him, a shadow moved in front of him and a clang was heard. Sparks blazed into existence and flew away from the collision and landed against the ground.

Surprised, Freed backed up several steps with a slight panic, though this quickly faded as he started to talk.

"What? What the fuck!? Who the Hell are you!? Are you a Devil piece of shit too, or just a shitty Devil supporter!? Either way, you're going to die for getting in my way, you little bitch!" Freed cursed off, though this time, instead of being directed at Yuuto, they were directed towards the person who had saved him.

Yuuto took a step back and to his side so that he could get a better look at the person who had saved him. Though he could only see one half of their face, it was enough for now.

With an average build of five feet and one inch, the woman who had saved him had a face similar to that of a doll, though with an odd regal look, almost as if she was a member of royalty. She had platinum blond hair, which appeared as if it was instead strands of gold and beautiful light gold eyes which was similar to that of molten gold; the girl was incredibly beautiful – even by Devil standards. Yuuto felt himself draw in a deep breath at her appearance. It was enough so that he felt as if his heart had skipped a beat, though only for a moment, before returning to normal. He then glanced down at her appearance before his eyes strayed towards the sword she held in her right hand, which had to have blocked the fragment of Excalibur, given the clang that he had heard.

With a black scarf wrapped around her neck, she wore a short white kimono that had a black sash going around her waist, with a white ribbon tied to the front and green underneath it, which was altogether underneath a light blue haori with the sleeves being partly white. She wore black, knee-high stockings which, for some reason, did not cover the toes nor the back of her feet, that had black leather armor covering the knees and leg and black sandals for footwear.

As for the sword she held, it was a beautifully crafted katana. The handle of it was white with the crossguard being gold and circular in design. The blade was beautifully crafted to near perfection, with it mostly being a light black in color with a white ripple riding against the edge.

Much like the fragment of Excalibur that Freed Sellzen held, the sword the girl carried with her possessed a feeling of being Holy. ' _Is it a Holy Sword too…? No, it has to be… After all, a regular sword could not stop a strike from one of the Excalibur fragments. And it doesn't even have a trace of Demonic Power to boot... so it has to be..._ ' Yuuto thought to himself as he analyzed the katana the girl held.

The girl spared a glance towards the blond Knight, before redirecting her gaze back towards the priest.

Smiling thinly, she announced herself. "I am Ex and I'm just a normal human striving to become the greatest swordswoman in the world. I don't know anything about Devils or whatever it was, but I'll tell you this: I will never lose a battle when it comes to swords. That, I promise you."

For a moment, all was silent.

Then Freed ruined it by laughing hysterically.

"So, so, you didn't save this Devil scum because you love Devils, or anything retarded like that, but just because you saw a guy with a cool ass sword and thought ' _let's go see if I can beat him the fuck up_ ' huh!? What kind of fucking retard are you, you bitch!?"

The girl, after a short moment, tilted her head to the left in slight confusion and blinked before speaking.

"There you go again with the ' _Devil_ ' thing. You do realize that they don't exist right?" Her words were completely clueless, to the point that you could honestly say that she was just an ordinary human. In fact, she had to be one with no idea of the supernatural existing.

And yet she had blocked a strike from a fragment of Excalibur.

A regular sword would've been cut through – even if it was a surprise for it to appear out of nowhere. Freed's sword easily did the same with the swords created from Yuuto's Sacred Gear, and they were much stronger than a regular blade. But Freed couldn't cut through the sword that the girl who called herself Ex held, and she had appeared from out of nowhere, even though Yuuto, as a Devil, should've seen or heard her coming even if he was fixated on fighting Freed.

' _What is this girl?_ ' Yuuto's eyes narrowed, just as Freed started to laugh once more.

"S-seriously!? You don't know a damn thing little girly! This is too fucking funny!" At this point, he was clutching his stomach with his left arm. With his eyes closed, he doubled over and continued to laugh.

At that moment, Yuuto realized. If he attacked now, he could kill the priest standing before him! Just as he started to bend upwards slightly in order to go on the offensive, his wounds be damned, the girl cut through the air with her blade and stopped a few inches before him. She glanced at him over her shoulder with a slight turn of the head. Looking into her eye, it was as if she was telling the blond Knight to 'stay out of it'.

Yuuto could only grind his teeth in frustration. He could kill Freed Sellzen right now – he was that distracted! And yet the girl was giving up the easy kill… she'll get them both killed!

That was what he was thinking, though he did not voice it aloud. If the girl was just going to let Freed kill her, then it was fine. Yuuto would simply wait until the right moment and attack from behind.

He would destroy Excalibur, even if he had to discard everything else.

Finally finishing his laugh, Freed looked up at the girl with tears in his eyes.

"You, you're freaking funny! You know the supernatural exists, right? They do! They are in fact real!" To showcase this fact, he even held up his sword, his fragment of Excalibur, as if it was show-and-tell at school. But instead of being filled with surprise and realization, the girl simply frowned.

"Why do you keep saying that? It's not real." Her tone was one of finality; as if nothing could ever change her mind on what she had spoken – that Devils, that the supernatural, did not exist.

It was hard to believe that someone like this could possibly exist. An idiot so stupid that when told that the supernatural world exists and is given proof, they don't believe it. Freed himself carried a fragment of Excalibur – something that shouldn't exist – yet the girl didn't believe that the supernatural, that Devils, Angels, and what have you, exist! It was absurd.

Then again, humans live in a world where the supernatural is in the shadows, so even if you tell one, they probably won't believe you, unless you were to give sufficient proof. Freed showing off his sword doesn't really count as proof, as simply seeing a sword wouldn't make one believe in the supernatural, so Yuuto related the girl's dense nature towards the supernatural towards Freed's stupidity in trying to prove it.

Freed barked out a laugh. "Well, well! This was an honest surprise! Seriously, I never thought I would ever run into someone like you in my entire life! Well, this was a grand ol' meeting! But, I'm sorry."

"For what?" The girl honestly asked, a look of simple curiosity written on her face.

"But I'm going to have to kill you now!" Wearing a sick smile, Freed rushed towards the girl, moving way too fast for an ordinary human to even respond.

' _It's over. At that speed, a mere human won't be able to-!_ '

However, his thoughts were interrupted as the sword that Freed swung towards the girl's neck was blocked. Then, Freed was pushed back.

Surprised, he lost his balance and nearly fell to the ground. He paused for a few moments as he digested what had just happened.

Looking up at the girl, he saw her moving back into stance.

With her feet spread apart, her right extending before her left, with her body turned more so towards her left, her right hand held the handle right before the crossguard with the arm drawn towards herself on the other side of the sword, while the left held the end of the handle with the palm resting on the pommel. She pointed her blade towards him with the edge facing towards the Heavens, though the sword was angled downward close to a forty-five-degree angle. There was no longer a smile on her face and her eyes were serious and focused – to the point that it could be described as cold and dangerous looking. It was as if a switch had been pressed to go from her earlier happy-go-lucky attitude to a cold and more battle-hardened look.

The girl was prepared to kill. There was no hesitation in her eyes, nor in her sword.

"That sword…" She finally said after a few moments, a glare in her eyes. Her voice came out in such a monotone that it momentarily surprised Yuuto into thinking that Koneko had said that; even though she was not here. "Is sad to be swung by you." She finished after a short pause with a melancholic look.

Freed and Yuuto blinked at the same time, confused by her statement.

"Uhm, what do you mean by that?" Yuuto asked her with simple curiosity in his tone. He was genuinely curious in what she had said – and this simple curiosity distracted him from the feelings of anger he had been feeling, though only for a moment.

Her eyes didn't even move from Freed, which merely showed how serious she was – that she didn't even wish to lose concentration in her enemy for even a moment.

"I can hear them; the voices of the swords. Because I am the strongest sword; though I'm a human."

Her words only served to confuse the two even more and show that she wasn't actually serious. After all, what idiot went around saying that they could supposedly hear what a sword has to say and with a straight face no less? Even more so, an idiot that said that they didn't believe in the supernatural? If someone could actually talk to swords, then they would definitely believe in the supernatural. After all, what lunatic believed that swords could actually talk in a realistic setting?

Freed could only laugh at her claim, though Yuuto decided to say and do nothing. There was no point, after all.

"That is so stupid and bullshit, I don't know what's funnier even more! You believing that you won't be cut down by me and my EX-CAL-I-BUR, or you saying that you can hear the voice of swords, you damn looney bitch!"

"Excalibur?" The girl questioned, a frown spreading itself across her face.

"What, are you and your tiny brain going to say that _the_ Holy Sword Excalibur doesn't exist either?" Laughing this out, Freed, nor Yuuto, could've expected her answer even if they were given a list of possible answers she could've said.

"But I'm Excalibur."

And then Freed's laughter stopped.

The look in the girl's eyes – they were completely serious; there was not even a shred of a doubt in them. She really believed what she had said, to the very depths of her heart. Freed blinked from confusion and Yuuto could only open and close his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but no words ever came out. After all, what could one say in this situation?

Then Freed sucked in a deep breath and laughed.

"Y-y-you're Excalibur!? Th-that must be the funniest thing I have ever heard! You fucking came from an insane asylum or something?"

Ex pouted at hearing this. "I'm telling you the truth!"

"Yeah, and I'm God of the Bible." Freed rolled his eyes in what could either be disgust or annoyance. "Either way, let's get back to me killing you!" With a deranged smile, Freed raised his blade.

Running back towards the girl, Freed slashed down at her with his fragment of Excalibur. When Ex lifted her blade to intercept, he pulled back and thrusted the blade down towards her abdomen, but with a short right turn towards her left, she narrowly managed to dodge the blade, though it managed to cut through her haori slightly, though to a point that it was barely noticeable.

Stopping with his right foot extended forward, Freed released his grip on the sword with his left hand and slashed horizontally towards Ex, who was on his right.

Raising her sword, with the point facing downwards, she blocked the swing with her left arm supporting the back of her sword. Freed disengaged and spun around to face her, only to then have to duck underneath a swing of her blade which took a few inches of hair off of his hair.

"Ah, my hair!" Yelling this out, Freed kicked out towards her left leg with his right, but she skillfully jumped back with a spin towards her right to dodge the strike. But, not letting her off the hook, Freed followed after her with a leap. Slashing his sword down towards her body, she parried the strike near flawlessly, causing Freed to nearly let go of his own sword.

Surprised, but not willing to let up on his attack, Freed continued his assault. However, each blow of his was either blocked or parried.

To Yuuto's eyes, the two were on the same level. They moved at the same level of speed, though Freed didn't use his Excalibur fragment's power to increase his speed, and they struck with the same amount of force. It was incredibly even, almost as if it was actually an artificial situation, created so that the two could only fight at the same level.

That was until Ex drew first blood, anyway.

Slashing down at the girl, Ex swung to intercept horizontally. When the two blades collided, sparks shot off at contact. Freed tried to push down at the girl, but, with a step towards her right with her left leg, she angled the sword back and down, allowing Freed's blade to slip down the edge of her own sword, causing the man to stumble forward a step from surprise and from the loss of a force against his. Ex gripped the back of her own blade with her left hand, just past the middle of it, and with an arc, Ex's blade cleaved through the air and cut through Freed's left shoulder in a perfect arc.

Freed quickly jumped back afterwards in order to assess the damage. From what Yuuto could see, the wound was thin. Much thinner than what it should've been.

Then Yuuto realized why the wound wasn't as deep as it should've been. It was because Ex had taken out part of the range of her katana when she had gripped the sword with her left hand. At the same time as doing that, she pulled her right arm back slightly, but due to holding the blade with her left, it was still accurate. If she had swung normally, the swing could've taken off Freed's arm – but she had swung strangely, with her left hand holding onto the blade and moving her other arm back. Its purpose was to pull the blade back, to limit its range, and so as to only cut through his skin. Not to take off his arm.

' _She's not aiming to kill Freed in this fight._ ' Yuuto thought to himself with surprise. Watching the face of Ex, he arrived at his next answer. 'She merely wants to have fun.' Most of her face was tranquil and blank, much like a doll. However, her mouth was twisted slightly at the edges into a smile. It was hard to notice, but if one were to look closely, then it was obvious.

Ex did not want to kill Freed – she just wanted to fight him whilst having fun.

' _So stupid…_ ' Yuuto shook his head in annoyance, but before he could continue his thoughts, Freed spoke up.

"You know something, you damn brat? I'm getting awfully tired of your shit. Why don't you just die?" Spitting out his words like they were disgusting, Freed smiled while showing off his pearly whites. "If you want, I could even cut you into pieces!"

Freed moved towards Ex with frightening speed, going much faster than earlier. However, the girl was unfazed. Raising her sword, she placed it behind her back, with both hands gripping the handle. With a clang, the two blades touched and quickly parted. Freed disappeared, moving towards the girl's left. Spinning towards her left, as if she predicted this, she slashed and intercepted Freed's second attack at just the right time. Moving once more, Freed reappeared behind Ex again, but this time, he had to quickly move away due to Ex reacting just as fast and slashing her blade towards him.

She had effectively matched, or rather, surpassed Freed's speed with her own.

"Holy shit, what the Hell!? How come you can keep up with Rapidly!? It's the Holy Sword of Heavenly Flare! The fragment of Excalibur which grants the user great speed? This is definitely horseshit!"

Without responding Ex disappeared from Freed's vision.

With speed surpassing what the Excalibur Freed handled could give him, she disappeared faster than the eye could keep track of and made a long cut through Freed's back before he could even notice. Going from just before his right shoulder down to his left hip, blood gushed out of the wound and covered part of his back in the red blood, staining his white robe with it in the process. However, Ex was not done. Moving the sword back, she slashed her blade horizontally towards the priest, leaving behind a only a flash of her blade in the process.

Twisting around towards the girl, Freed managed to just barely block the second strike, but he was unable to dodge the resulting thrust.

Pulling the blade back, Ex left a trail of blood through the air originating from Freed's right shoulder.

"Fuck!" Freed shouted, raising Excalibur Rapidly. The blade glowed a dim gold and with a sick smile on his face, he glared at Ex. "I'm going to fucking kill you, you bitch!"

However, instead of attacking, he disappeared. Utilizing the Excalibur's power to increase his speed, he tried to fake out Ex into thinking he was going to attack from the front when in reality he was going to use the great speed granted by the blade to move behind her and attack – however, this trick did not work on her. At the same time that he had moved, she moved with him. When he stopped – she was already facing and slashing upwards from her left to the right towards him. With no time to block, he used his Excalibur to move away just in the nick of time. However, he still had his robe cut partially.

Excalibur Rapidly increased someone's speed from a zero to a hundred instantaneously, though it can even cause its wielder to move at a much faster pace when utilized correctly, which is why he was able to escape being injured from Ex's last attack. However, with Ex's natural speed being much greater than this instantaneous and increased movement, if Freed continued the fight, he would eventually lose – even if he could spam his Excalibur's ability forever.

With laborious breathing, Freed lowered his arms, though he kept his grip strong on the handle of his sword. It was obvious that he was becoming more and more tired. The Excalibur fragment he held wasn't as light as his previous sword – which was simply a sword of light which carried only a small weight because of it being only a handle with the actual blade being a beam of light, which literally carried no weight. And because of the speed he continued to use because of his sword, he was becoming tired at a much faster rate.

He couldn't continue this fight. There would be no battle of attrition; Ex was in near perfect condition while he was starting to break down, from fighting the Devil and then her. There was simply no contest; Ex would win this battle if it continued.

Before either one could make another move, a green magic circle appeared next to Freed's left ear. He stopped and moved his eyes to the left as a very faint voice reached Yuuto's ears, to the point that he couldn't actually make out what was being said.

Freed clicked his tongue just as the magic circle disappeared.

Ex relaxed the grip on her sword and stood back up to her full height.

"You got lucky bitch, but next time we see each other, I'll kill you!" Grabbing something from his robes, he threw a small ball the size of a seed down to the ground. The moment it hit, it exploded with light, blinding Yuuto and Ex.

When the light faded, Freed was gone, leaving behind the two swordmasters.

* * *

 **So this idea has been baking around in my head for around two to three months now. Joining up in the DxD fanon wiki, I wrote out many characters, a small number of Sacred Gears, and possible stories I could write. But none has held my attention much like this one. Starting from just a mere dream, this scene (though arguably much better in said dream) was what first captivated me and what had led me into writing this.**

 **I'm not sure as to how well this story will do, but I will try my best to continue... seeing as to how I mostly figured out the first three arcs and part of the fourth, as well as several scenes later down the line, a diverge from canon, and several other... exciting thoughts... hopefully I really do continue because I genuinely want to see what happens in this story and how everyone reacts to it.**

 **But, allow me to tell everyone something about this story. I have been sitting on it for a while now... but I have been nervous about it. It was something I couldn't really tell many people about, but it has caused me to hold off on actually writing the story, so instead, I have been working on what is to come and of the characters. So even though I haven't put much into the chapters yet, I have made plenty of work into this story. As I had said just moments before, I have mostly figured out the first threes arcs and part of the fourth.**

 **But from here on, you will just have to see what happens for yourself. I will say this though; the beginning will mostly follow canon with changes here and there, some minor, some more major, and there will definitely be more players in this story. I just wish I have your support in this, so that I can ease this nervousness I feel, but I won't ask for just good words; I want bad words too! As in, constructive criticism.**

 **I want the good and the bad; lay it on thick so that I may improve this story and not have to figure out what I am doing wrong and right by myself. It would really help me out.**

 **Well, this has been Just a Bad Writer for Fun, AKA, Charles, signing out. Everyone still reading, please have a good day and or night, wherever you are!**


	2. Sword 2

"Excalibur!" – Saying out loud.  
' _Excalibur!_ ' – Thought.  
[ **Boosted Gear** ] – Sacred Gear/Balance Breaker.  
" **Giga Drill Break!** "/' _Giga Drill Break!_ ' – Technique; will not be bolded if it is not being spoken/thought.  
{ **You're a Wizard Harry.** } – Ddraig/Albion/Beast/Other speaking.  
 **Pov:**  
 **X** = Third person.  
" **name** " **or ?** = First person.

 **Sword 2: Sword Birth**

 **†**  
 **Kiba Yuuto**

For some time now, I had been thinking a lot - about the past, specifically. Ever since I saw that sword in Issei's photo album from when he was a kid... A lot has been on my mind. It had reminded me of my past; of the revenge that I must carry out against the Church...against the Excalibur fragments.

Earlier, I had screwed up whilst we were fighting a Stray Devil and I had been reprimanded by Buchou. I had left right afterwards, but not before Issei could offer up words of friendship towards me - "If you ever want to talk about it, then please come to me; to us! We're your friends, right?"

' _I'm sorry Issei, guys, but... this is a matter for myself to deal with. I can't drag everyone else into my own problems..._ '

It wasn't really a tough decision, but it still hurt. Even now, I felt pain in my chest from the decision I had made. To ignore the friends I had made in order to pursue my own selfish revenge. But this is something that I must do by and for myself.

There is no other way.

But to think I would run into that vulgar priest from a few months back, Freed Sellzen... to see him with an Excalibur...! It really paints a clear picture.

He is my enemy, the sword he carries is my enemy. I will destroy Excalibur. And nothing will stop me.

And yet, he had very nearly killed me. My revenge - everything that I had ever strove towards - it would've been rejected and deemed worthless. But then she had appeared.

A strange girl with a regal look, almost as if she was some knight or king from the medieval period, carrying a sword that was definitely that of a Holy Sword.

She called herself as a regular human being; someone who did not believe in the supernatural. Perhaps she was brought up without being told of it, and was handed a Holy Sword without her knowing?

I truly believed that she would be cut down by Freed who possessed an Excalibur.

However, this was not the case. She had overwhelmed him. In the beginning of the fight, her level could've been said to be just below his, but to a degree where she could still match him for a time.

But as it went on, it was shown that her power was the same - no, greater. It was as if she was holding back so that she was at his level and was gradually letting more and more of her power out as they traded blows.

It was frustrating.

Then, she calls herself Excalibur - "But I'm Excalibur." Her words echoed within my mind - they were laughable; something that couldn't possibly make sense.

How is she Excalibur? Wasn't Excalibur destroyed ages ago? As proof, Freed Sellzen possessed one such fragment. And the most important part - she was not a sword. She had flesh and blood. No handle, no crossguard, no blade.

However, she still proclaimed herself as that Holy Sword, with a straight face no less - all the while saying that the supernatural does not exist.

You cannot have it both ways; and yet it was as if she was combining that of darkness and light together. Weaving two powers together that shouldn't be able to be combined, something that contradicts one another - and yet, she was completely serious.

I do not know whether to believe in her words or to laugh at her - much like what Freed had done.

And now, Freed had disappeared with another one of his tricks.

It was just me and the girl who proclaims herself as Excalibur - Ex - left.

It was an odd twist of fate to meet someone like her, for someone like her to have saved me. But, whether it was good fortune or not, eludes me. However, there were still some things that I wanted to know.

And even if I had to force her to tell me, I will get my answers.

 **†  
** **X**

"Whew." Ex breathed out with a smile on her face, closing her eyes in the process. Hefting her sword up, she laid the blunted edge of her katana onto her right shoulder. "That was an exhausting fight, wouldn't you say, er... Blondie?" Her smile clearly showed that of amusement tinged with enjoyment. She was a confusing girl, and to Yuuto, he could only feel annoyance at her smile and words.

' _First of all, you don't look tired at all!_ ' Yuuto thought to himself, just barely stopping himself from saying it out loud. Placing a hand over his own mouth, he stopped his words from coming forth. Shaking his head, he removed his hand, but didn't say a word; instead, he took the time to calmly observe Ex as he calmed down.

' _She wasn't injured during the fight, though her haori was cut slightly in the fron... wait, it looks perfectly fine? Was it actually a miss, but from my perspective... Either way, she's confusing. Not believing in the supernatural... calling herself Excalibur... what is she? She is definitely no ordinary human._ '

Yuuto sighed from annoyance at having to deal with the strange girl before him. ' _There's no use thinking so much about this. She seems to be the type to honestly say what's on their mind. If I just say it upfront, I will most likely get the truth._ ' Calming himself down, he focused his gaze towards the perplexed girl who was frowning at his lack of response. ' _However, for some reason, just looking at her pisses me off... is it because she said she was Excalibur? I think I would know better than to believe her and share my anger towards that despicable blade towards her..._ ' Opening his mouth, he began his own introduction. "Kiba Yuuto. Though if you want, you can just call me-" Before he could finish what he was saying, Ex interrupted him with a somewhat loud and cheery voice.

"Then, Yuuto, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" Stabbing her katana into the ground, she extended her right hand, a large smile on her face. The look on her face - the slight blush on her cheeks and her eyes closed from happiness, with a slight tilt of her head towards her right - it was the complete opposite of the one she wore when she was facing Freed Sellzen. It was as if the girl from earlier, who was cold and ruthless, was replaced with a warm and merciful girl.

Yuuto nearly scoffed at such a revelation. He didn't accept the girl's hand. Instead, his chest ached with slight anger and annoyance.

"I want to ask you a few things. I can't have you saying no, so..." Moving his hand from his side to his left, a red magic circle appeared before his left fist and the hilt of a sword appeared from within. Grasping the handle with his right hand, he pulled the European styled sword free from the magic circle and pointed the black blade at Ex.

' _Holy Eraser. A Demon Sword capable of absorbing Holy energy. First, I'll test whether or not the blade she carries is certainly a Holy Sword. I have my doubts - but there is a large chance that it is one. This blade will prove it._ '

"What is that? So cool!" However, contrary to Yuuto's expectations, instead of the look of betrayal and anger in the girl's eyes, there was one of surprise and excitement. "How did you do something like that!?" Matched with the smile worn on her face and her expression, the look she gave was one of excitement, showing off how impressed she was. To Yuuto, he immediately felt a pang in his chest, much like the feeling one would have been complimented. Though he had been praised for his good looks and grades from the girls at his school, he had never seen so much excitement from one individual about something he had done.

However, he would not let it get to his head. Breathing in, Yuuto exhaled quietly. Calming himself down, he locked eyes with Ex.

"...My Sacred Gear. [ **Sword Birth** ]." Yuuto answered, though immediately after, he frowned in confusion. ' _Why am I answering her question? Shouldn't it be the other way around?_ '

"Wow... A... Gear whatever, uh, basically that! Some kind of sword technique to hide swords?" Though slightly confused, the girl did not let it take away from her enjoyment from what Yuuto had shown her, though it caused Yuuto to blink in confusion himself. ' _Does she have no idea what Sacred Gears are?_ ' Yuuto asked himself with a frown.

"Uhm... no." Yuuto was honestly taken aback. Rather than be threatened by his gesture, she was actually... enthused by what he had done. Creating a sword from out of nowhere - it was certainly a strange ability, if one really thought about it.

Yuuto, on the other hand, found it completely normal. Perhaps that was because he used it on the daily, but to him, it was something natural; almost as natural as breathing.

A Sacred Gear. A powerful tool that humans possess at birth. Created by the God of the Bible, it was something meant to grant humans power so that they could stand up to the supernatural beings that inhabit this word, be they Angel, Fallen, Devil, or Dragons and Gods. To an ordinary human, they would - regardless of type or ability - be something praiseworthy and amazing.

But the girl before him, took things a step forward. She was excited - to the point that Yuuto felt as if she might ask for his autograph within the next few moments. However, as they say: never assume what might happen.

"But..." Ex suddenly adopted a melancholic look on her face, one as if she was expressing just immense pity and sorrow that it could calm and even sadden the heart of those around her. With a frown on her face, she continued. "That sword you..." she paused for a moment, trying to figure out what to say to describe what Yuuto had done. "Birthed? It... lacks a voice. This is certainly... disconcerting." Her eyes half closed, she pursed her lips in thought.

"What?" ' _A... voice? Well, she did say it earlier. That she could supposedly hear the voice of swords..._ ' Though Yuuto did not completely believe her, it was possible that there was a hint of truth in her words. ' _Can she really hear this so-called voice that swords supposedly possess?_ '

"Mhm. When I gaze upon a blade, I can always hear them - saying out things about their master or about their life and existence. Hahah, it's certainly something weird, but I assure you; It's perfectly normal!" Saying this with a lackadaisical look on her face, she rubbed the back of her head with her left hand, chuckling awkwardly with her eyes closed.

' _Yeah, I highly doubt that. I'm pretty sure you're the only person in the world that believes that._ ' Yuuto thought to himself with a doubtful look on his face. Quickly shaking his head, he focused back on the point at hand.

"Listen; I don't really care about that, okay? I'm going to ask you a few questions, so just-"

"But aren't you going to force them out of my lips?" Opening her eyes as she spoke these words, it was revealed that they were dull and a waving of killing intent was directed towards the blond Knight.

"W...what?" For a moment, Yuuto was speechless. Stunned. The way Ex had said those words, it was as if she had lacked emotions. However, that simply wasn't the case; she had spoken with such emotion earlier, that it would be wrong to say that she doesn't possess them. However, in that moment, it was as if she had suddenly turned cold, incredibly so. In fact, it reminded him of a certain Rook. Narrowing his eyes, Yuuto lowered his sword. Instead of pointing it at her, he took his regular stance. It was all the answer he needed to give in this situation.

Ex will not answer his questions unless he were to best her in combat. Though nervous, Yuuto was confident in his ability. Though he was still injured, he was a Devil. A Devil's body was naturally much more resilient than that of a normal human body. Give them enough time, and even a wound delivered from a Holy Sword will stop hurting as much!

Not saying a word, Ex closed her eyes. She breathed in through her nose and then out from her mouth. There was no way to describe the action, as it lacked emotion or thought. Though, if one were to attempt, they would simply say that it flowed like water running from a tap. It was something natural for her, as much as it were for water to move.

Opening her eyes, it was revealed to be the same as when she had fought Freed; dangerous and cold. Even more so than a few moments ago. As if she was prepared to kill. However, Yuuto knew: she would not kill him. There was something with her and not killing who she fights, so to Yuuto, he was at an immediate advantage and conversely, Ex was at a disadvantage.

Grasping the handle of her katana with a light grip, Ex withdrew her blade from the ground. Raising it up, she took her stance from before. With the blade dipping downward towards the ground, she coldly stared into Yuuto's eyes with an expression similar to that of a dead fish, with her mouth slightly agape, breathing in and out slowly.

The aura that was coming off of her - it was similar to that of the embrace of death. It painted a picture of deep blackness behind her, with that of a golden skull bathed in crimson red blood directly behind her. An intimidating image.

' _But so what?_ ' Yuuto thought to himself, gritting his teeth, a slight smile forming on his face. ' _I've already died once! I'm not going to be frightened by something of this level!_ '

Leaning forward slightly, Yuuto sprung forward, immediately going at full speed. Ex took note of this and reacted accordingly.

Adjusting the grip on her sword slightly, she spun her left foot back around to her left and slashed downwards towards her left. The blades rang out against one another, causing sparks to fly. The clash of the two blades reverberated through the air, sparks flying from the impact of the two blades - it was something Ex was used to.

But she wasn't the only one to have crossed paths with other swordsmen.

Yuuto, knowing of her immense speed as shown when she battled Freed, was not surprised by her reaction time and movement. He had expected her to do this, which is why - he was not holding the sword.

Instead, the one surprised, was Ex - at the sword which Yuuto had just been holding having been used as a decoy and had been thrown at her.

If this was an ordinary blade, she might not have fallen for this trick. But because it was a blade created - one that which held no voice according to Ex - then she could not tell what would happen. At the speed Yuuto had moved, Ex had momentarily lost track of him. However, a moment later, she had found where he had gone; almost as if she had never lost visual contact with him in the first place.

However, by then, it was already too late. Ex had fallen for Yuuto's trap.

He threw the blade towards her and went in the opposite direction. Yes; Yuuto was attacking Ex from her blind spot - from behind.

' _Calming Sword. A Demon Sword which creates wind.'_ Yuuto thought to himself, creating a new black sword - Holy Eraser - in his right hand. _'The moment that I had launched forward, I had created that sword to help trick her. Adding the path of the wind was tricky, as one wrong move would trip some alarms, but if done right, the movement of the wind would be as if I had been the one moving instead of just a sword. I had to move fast enough that she would lose track of me momentarily for this to work, however. Though I had to dispose of the sword afterward as it would only slow me down._ '

Ex, slowly twisting around towards her left, had already found out where Yuuto was attacking from. The Holy Eraser thrown at her had bounced off from the impact with her sword. It wasn't even halfway down to the ground, in fact, it had just barely left contact with her own blade.

' _She's good. Incredibly so. But it's as if she lacks experience... But, that doesn't matter! It's already too late to dodge or even to block!_ '

His newly created Holy Eraser was nearing the back of her neck. ' _I'll have to cut lightly. If I cut too deep, then she'll die. But with this, she will be forced to-_ '

However, expectations never really go your way. The world was certainly cruel, and reality was heartbreaking at times.

Centimeters from the back of Ex's neck, Yuuto's Holy Eraser was blocked.

"Wha-!?"

Moving incredibly fast, to the point that even Yuuto - who was right in front of her - had lost track of Ex. She had moved at such a speed that she had momentarily created an afterimage and had even disappeared in spot. Wind twisting around her, turning in the direction she had moved, Yuuto was dyed in surprise and shock.

Slashing downwards, her katana cleanly cut through Yuuto's Holy Eraser with ease. The blade had been pulled back - much to Yuuto's shock and slight annoyance. It didn't even cut through his clothes. It was a show of force.

 _I could've killed you._

Was the message that Ex was sending to him.

Yuuto gritted his teeth and clenched his hands. He wasn't done yet! As Ex was still moving her blade upward and back towards her so that she could move back into her stance, Yuuto went forward. It barely surprised the girl, though it did give her a slight pause towards getting back into her stance from before.

Holding the broken sword of Holy Eraser up in his right hand, he attempted to slash at her face. Ex calmly leaned backwards, letting the broken blade nearly scratch her nose, but miss, flying past her towards her left. Her eyes tracked the progress of the sword. However, that was Yuuto's aim - it was what he had wanted her to do. To catch her off guard, he had went for a move that she didn't totally expect.

Creating a second sword in his left hand and grasping its handle - that was his plan. Using his body to hide the blade from sight, so that she wouldn't see it until he had already swung it towards her.

At the same time, letting go of his broken blade and creating a sword in his right hand to replace it. This way, even if she was able to react, she would only be able to block the left sword while leaving her open to attack from his right sword.

That was his plan at the very least. However, the self-proclaimed Excalibur before him went against the usual rules, the norm that Yuuto had settled upon.

It was as if she had seen this coming. When one thinks about it, and the abilities of the one fighting them, then various strategies will come to mind at how they could fight in any given situation.

This was one situation that she had thought up - on the premise that he would try to hide one side of his body, in order to hide a secret blade. Given how Yuuto could simply make a sword and grasp it with his left or right hand, it was an obvious strategy used in order to catch their opponent off guard. Only a fool wouldn't realize it.

And thus, Ex did not move her sword to intercept the left sword coming towards her. Instead, she flipped over it with a back flip, surprising Yuuto. She made sure to flip over towards his left side, so that the sword in his right hand wouldn't, and couldn't, be used in this situation. To do so, he would have to turn towards her, but that would take precious few seconds.

In this fight, Yuuto needed speed and ingenuity to win. But Ex possessed a certain type of instinct that could force those two to be null and void.

Her sword, before she had even landed on the ground, had already sung through the air. When her feet touched back on the ground, a second tune had been sung. Before Yuuto had realized it, two things had happened in the span of time of the back flip Ex had performed.

The first, was the sword he held in his left hand having been cut through close to the crossguard. That had happened when Ex was still in the air. The second, was the thin cut going from his left elbow to shoulder, was when Ex had landed.

Incredibly fast slashes that Yuuto hadn't even seen traces of. Or rather, he had seen a glimpse, but it wasn't comprehended by him until a moment later.

It was delivered at such a speed that even he, a reincarnated Devil with the Evil Piece of Knight, couldn't react to it at all. It wasn't impossible, as he had seen many attacks such as this from his master and others. But they were all Devils or other supernatural species.

His opponent... was a human.

Were they really capable of such speed of attacks?

Ex backed off afterwards, leaving Yuuto in pain, to such an extent that he couldn't even hold a sword in his left hand anymore. From the injury received earlier to this one - he couldn't even bear to move his left arm at all, or else pain would assault his body as if he was being struck by lightning.

Dropping the broken blade, he crouched down to the ground, letting his other sword stab into the ground. The broken blade disappeared a moment later, but unlike it, his pain would not simply disappear as easily.

"I knew it." Ex spoke with a tone that suggested that she had found something important and decisive out. Yuuto could only grunt from the pain, so without waiting for words, she continued. "When I had crossed blades with that guy from before, though his sword didn't like to be wielded by him, I did figure something else out. It was also tingly! Just like my sword!"

"H-huh?" Yuuto could barely speak up against the pain. Slowly, it was getting better, but if Ex continued to talk like this, then if he helped her, then he could stall for time and slowly recover his stamina so that he could possibly turn the tides of the fight on her. "What do-do you mean?" Spitting out his words, Yuuto couldn't help but listen to what she said as closely as possible. Though a lot of what she said didn't really make sense, perhaps something could be gleamed from her words...

Was what he originally had thought.

"And you looked like you were in more pain than what you should be! So, if his sword was tingly and my sword was tingly - then that must mean... tingly swords are your weakness!" Pointing the index finger of her left hand at him, it was as if she was accusing him of the worst crime possible.

However, she was simply pointing out a weakness that he couldn't exactly comprehend in the sense that she was talking in.

' _A-a tingly... what? If she's talking about that damned Freed's sword... then could this tingly thing she's talking about be... a Holy Sword?_ '

Though she used weird words to describe it, the gears in Yuuto's head slowly clicked together. The tingly feeling she spoke of - if it was the same for her sword and Freed's Excalibur fragment, then it could only be that - a Holy Sword. Given how her sword had the same effect on him as it did with the fragment, then this made sense. Which meant that the katana she carried, was definitely a Holy Sword. ' _But, which one, is the question..._ '

Yuuto didn't know what Holy Sword took the form of a katana. He was only familiar with the more European styled Holy Swords - specifically fragments of Excalibur.

Taking in a deep breath, Yuuto exhaled. He still needed more time to recover. ' _A question... what question will help?_ ' He slowly curled the fingers of his left hand inward towards his palm to see how much he could move them, even against the pain - they moved slowly, but the feeling was returning, though there was still a lot of pain lingering. Thinking it over, he decided to ask Ex something that piqued his interest. "...Why did you hold back?"

"Hm?" Tilting her head in confusion, Ex was clearly confused at his question. Sighing in slight annoyance and from his minor victory in successfully creating a situation where he could further stall for time, Yuuto explained.

"When you fought that priest from before... you fought at the same level he was at - no, slightly below his. But then you moved faster and swung harder than him after a while of fighting him. Why?"

"Ooh!" Understanding lit up on Ex's face as she now understood what Yuuto was asking her. But in the next moment, she laughed as if he had told a funny joke, to which Yuuto was surprised at. "S-sorry, sorry, but... don't you know?" Said in such a way that only an idiot wouldn't understand, Yuuto could only keep his mouth shut. "When you fight... you don't reveal your entire hand at once!" Raising a finger, she explained this as if she was a teacher, with such a confident and condescending attitude that it even pissed Yuuto off slightly. "Which is why, I always start the fight just below the level of my opponent! It only takes a glimpse to get an idea and a swing to figure it out, though sometimes against stronger foes, I'd need to fight for a bit longer... but, in the end, it's pretty simple, right?"

"Well... that makes sense." Yuuto could only agree with her words. If he were to compare it with a Sacred Gear - then a user of one wouldn't start the fight with their Balance Breaker right from the get-go. They would first test out their opponent and see how much power they'd need to win. Balance Breaker might be overkill, or it might be necessary to win. Wasting power on your ultimate attack when your opponent was weak enough to finish in two or three strikes - it was a foolish move that only those inexperienced in battle would do.

Walking towards the side, though Ex kept her eyes trained on Yuuto as she moved, she frowned as she furrowed her eyebrows, as if deep in thought. Pursing her lips tightly together, she drummed her left index finger on her bottom lip, tapping it three times slowly.

Then, as if the answer had arrived in her head and a light bulb had been turned on, she stopped and turned back towards Yuuto with a wide and excited grin. Raising her blade, Yuuto tensed his body - but instead of moving into a stance or striking, she sheathed her sword.

"...What are you doing?" He asked Ex in a low tone, almost as if he was growling.

"Hm. After seeing you do it a few times, I've gotten the image stuck in my head, so I've been thinking on it and imagining it and..." she trailed off and stooped down, crouching close to the ground. Her eyes were set towards the concrete beneath her feet and her left palm was placed against it gently. A slight glow could be seen from between her hand and the ground, but it was incredibly dim, dim to the point that Yuuto could barely notice it.

' _See what? What did you imagine?_ ' Yuuto questioned her within his mind, but, as if she could hear his thoughts, she answered him.

"That... [ **Sword Birth** ] thing you were talking about. The, uh, gear, or whatever." Yuuto almost felt like rolling his eyes, but a troubling feeling went through him. Almost as if a hand had reached inside his chest and gripped his heart with an iron-like grasp. Not letting go, not for anything or anyone. A feeling as if he himself had been forced to the ground from an immense pressure. He swallowed some saliva and opened his mouth.

"...What do you mean?" Trying to shrug the feeling off, he asked her. And the response, sent a chill down his body.

"Well, it was an interesting technique, so I just thought about copying it... and I did." With her hand on the ground, a soft blue, almost ethereal, light was clearly released from between her palm and the ground. Yuuto's eyes widened in surprise at seeing it - the dim light expanding to be bright, to the point that he had to squint his eyes due to how blinding it was. As Ex raised her left hand, a pommel rose up out of the ground. The light appearing from Ex's hand dimmed, to the point that Yuuto could fully open his eyes. A handle appeared following after the pommel, afterwards a crossguard could be seen, and finally, a blade. Grasping the handle with her left hand, she hefted the sword up and took a good look at it, which Yuuto followed suit - it wasn't like he could take his eyes off of the impossibility he had just witnessed, after all.

The sword could only be described as an ethereal blue, with wispy tendrils like smoke coming off and around it.

' _Beautiful..._ ' Yuuto could only think to himself. Though the sword looked frail, especially at how he could just barely see through it, it was incredibly beautiful. It didn't even look like it was made from metal, but more like it was made from gas, water, or something similar.

However, Ex pursed up her lips in thought and furrowed her eyebrows in concentration. A frown twisted her lips and she sighed lightly, closing her eyes at the same time, almost as if she was disappointed.

"This blade... has no voice. This is a failure." Sighing as she spoke in a disinterested tone, she shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, well. It will come with time and practice."

Then, Yuuto remembered what had happened to lead up to this showcase.

"Wait, what do you mean when you said you copied me?" Asking this, Yuuto anxiously waited for a reply. ' _Did she copy my... Sacred Gear? But that should be impossible! Maybe... maybe she possesses a Sacred Gear with the power to copy others?_ ' However, as much as he thought this, the truth would only come from the girl standing before him, that had copied his Sacred Gear - though there were differences, especially in how the sword came out to be like.

"It's more of an ability to copy other techniques, styles, and the such..." she replied with a small melancholic smile and a spin of the blade she held. "To become strong, one must adapt. To adapt, one must take what is thrown at yourself and use it to become stronger. An animal thrown into the coldness of the Arctic, will in time, become resilient to the cold. It might take a long time- or even more than that - but this is pretty similar, or at least, in my opinion it is."

With a slight movement of her wrist, she tossed the blade upwards and towards her right side. As it fell down due to gravity, she deftly caught the handle with her hand without even looking. Holding the handle loosely in her right hand, she rubbed her thumb against the crossguard with a downward gaze.

All the while wearing a warm smile on her face with her bangs falling over her eyes, which contrasted against the melancholic smile from before. At the sight, Yuuto blinked. A moment later, Ex looked back up at Yuuto and continued.

"Know thy self, know thy enemy." Her words were that of Sun Tzu - a Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher. "A thousand battles, a thousand victories. I know myself - what I am capable of, the intricacies of my techniques, and the styles I have watched, learned, and developed. By watching you fight, I learned your movement patterns. I got into your mindset and learned your own style of swordsmanship. I will never lose a battle when it comes to swords. The reason is simple: Because I cannot lose. To be the strongest, one must never experience loss."

Straightening her body posture, she took the same stance that Yuuto had showed earlier. Eyes widening a fraction, Yuuto could only look on with slightly trembling hands, with his left sending pangs of pain through his body much like a heartbeat.

' _If that's the case... then..._ ' Thinking this to himself, Yuuto swallowed audibly.

"Now then... I guess that's enough stalling for time? Let's hurry up and continue!" At her words, Yuuto remembered that they were fighting. Somehow, he had momentarily forgotten that detail. He couldn't simply stay down... he had to get up and fight. Or rather, he didn't want to lose this chance to find out what the girl in front of him was capable of.

Clicking his tongue from the pain, Yuuto stood back up. At the same time, he created a Demon Sword, this time, focusing more towards how sharp it was instead of giving it an ability. ' _If she copied the ability to create swords, what if she could copy the properties of each sword?_ '

It would be too dangerous to simply pull out his Fire Sword or other swords so that she could copy them as well. Though Yuuto didn't really know how she could do this in the first place... There was something clearly off about Ex.

Charging towards her, he was momentarily surprised when she matched his speed to nearly the exact percentage - there was only little error in her approach. Swinging his blade horizontally towards her from his right, she copied the exact same move with her created ethereal blade, though it was mirrored to the other side. However, the moment the two blades touched one another, her sword was easily cut through.

' _Frail!_ ' Was Yuuto's thought. Swinging the blade back to the right, he aimed to finish the fight once and for all. After all, if the battle continues and escalates even further, then the possibility that he could defeat Ex would lower. Yuuto understood this clearly. ' _She had shown the creation of a sword, but it took a couple of seconds for it to form, and she only did so with her hand firmly planted against the ground. Which means-_ '

However, Yuuto's thought process was wrong. He had mostly understood the words that she had spoken earlier, but he could not fully grasp the bigger picture - if Ex adapts to every opponent and learns their own style of fighting from merely watching and exchanging blows with them, then she could grow further beyond what she had shown and what they had shown.

She could surpass every swordmaster, every technique, just with time and practice.

Creating a sword from the palm of her hand, she grasped the handle with her right hand and swung back towards Yuuto - specifically, the sword he was swinging back towards her, in a perfect arc no less, as if the blade had been in her hands from the very start.

Her eyes, unblinking, shined a soft gold and flecks of white covered them.

' _What!?_ ' His mind a whirl, Yuuto could barely comprehend when his blade didn't cut through this new sword Ex had created. Instead, the two swords were locked together, sparks flying at the contact. ' _The last one was incredibly frail, to the point that it was easily cut through with a single strike... do you mean to tell me that this one is stronger!?_ '

Breaking contact, Yuuto raised his arm and slashed downward. At the same time, Ex raised her arm and slashed downward - a perfect mirror of his own move.

' _Wait, can she really perfectly copy-!?_ ' The two swords collided, and, just like with the last sword, Ex's sword was cut through. Twisting his sword around, Yuuto aimed for an upward strike, however, Ex had already finished creating a sword just as he started to swung upwards, and instead of hitting Ex, her newly created sword blocked the strike.

Much like the last sword, it did not break upon contact.

Moving back, Yuuto tried a spinning slash, which Ex copied flawlessly. The two blades made contact, but this time, Ex's sword did not break. However, on the third strike, a thrust after pulling the blade back, it did.

The next sword Ex created broke on the fourth strike. Then the fifth.

With each blade Ex created, it could last one more strike against Yuuto.

Until finally - Ex backed off after the eighteenth sword was broken.

Humming to herself, she stared at the palm of her right hand with a curious expression on her face and a slight tilt of her head. Unbeknownst to Yuuto, her right palm was covered in a white aura with a slight trace of gold within it. Yuuto, meanwhile, had sweat dripping down his forehead after the exchange the two had gone through. His body shook, his arms felt numb, and his legs could hardly support his weight. He was getting too tired to fight.

As a Knight, Yuuto's greatest strength, was his speed. However, he had low endurance and stamina. As a general rule, he tried to finish fights as quickly as possible. However, against this girl before him - that was impossible. She wasn't even tired - Yuuto hadn't even seen the first drop of sweat go down her head.

' _Each move she made... was one that I would make, one that I did make earlier, or was the exact same move that I was making at that time... Did she completely...?_ ' Like Yuuto was thinking, Ex had completely copied his style of fighting. It was incredibly unnerving.

Shrugging to herself, Ex looked back up at Yuuto. "We should end this here. You can't really fight that well anymore." Saying this, she turned around, a small smile fluttering onto her face. "We can continue another time, maybe!" After finishing with this, she began to walk away. However, Yuuto, gritting his teeth, yelled out towards her.

"Stop! This... this isn't over! I can still..." He took a step forward, but he very nearly tripped. Like Ex had said, he couldn't really fight anymore. He was too tired and he was still injured. At his words, Ex stopped, though she did not turn back to face him. Instead, she placed her left hand over her mouth and shut her eyes. After a few moments, Ex lifted her hand away from her face and turned her head to look at Yuuto over her right shoulder.

"I'm not going to kill you just because you want to die." She plainly said, before turning back away from Yuuto and walking away. Yuuto could only stare after her in stunned silence, with his mouth wide open and his eyes wide from surprise. He hadn't expected that kind of response - though given how she didn't even try to kill Freed, he should've expected something like that.

Gritting his teeth from a sudden surge of anger, Yuuto fell down to his hands and knees, letting go of his sword in the process. "Dammit..." He mumbled, closing his eyes in frustration.

In the end, he had lost. Thoroughly; to the point that he had even strengthened his opponent with his own ability. It was unnerving how she had copied his style of fighting, it was incredibly chilling when she copied his Sacred Gear's ability, and it was terrifying to think of what she could do in the future or how strong she was right now.

If she could easily defeat a Devil possessing a Sacred Gear... just how strong was she?

* * *

 **Hey everyone, and thank you for sticking around! I'd like to thank those who so graciously followed and favorited and those who left a review, especially Rihavein-Zero; your review was just perfect. I love it.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter; part of it was already done, so I just quickly finished it up and edited through it. In any case, in this chapter, you will start to see what Ex is capable of. You will see more of it in chapter 4 and then 6 will be closer to what she can really do at this point in the story.**

 **I really hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and with that said, I'll be going now! Have a good day and or night!**

 **PS, if you notice any character acting a bit differently than what they should be, then please let me know so that I can fix this mistake, thank you!**


	3. Sword 3

"Excalibur!" – Saying out loud.  
' _Excalibur!_ ' – Thought.  
[ **Boosted Gear** ] – Sacred Gear/Balance Breaker.  
" **Giga Drill Break!** "/' _Giga Drill Break!_ ' – Technique; will not be bolded if it is not being spoken/thought.  
{ **You're a Wizard Harry.** } – Ddraig/Albion/Beast/Other speaking.  
 **Pov:**  
 **X** = Third person.  
" **name** " **or ?** = First person.

 **Sword 3: Average**

 **†**  
 **X**

 _Before the golden-haired girl, who sat in the seiza-style, lay an old man, hair as white as snow with streaks of dark grey mixed within. Face covered in wrinkles, his body was still. It was unknown whether he was alive or not with his lack of movement, however, the girl looked over him with fond, light golden eyes. The man's head turned ever so slightly towards the girl and a smile curled upwards upon his lips._

 _He opened his mouth and spoke, but no words came out, however, the girl listened intently. As he closed his mouth moments later, his smile widened, however, the girl then blinked, appearing to be confused._

 _She tilted her head slightly toward her right and frowned. Her brows furrowed upwards in concentration. Then, at last, the girl spoke._

 _"Who are you?"_

 _She asked the old man, no longer looking down at him with eyes full of fondness, but of confusion and bewilderment._

 _The old man's smile did not falter. Instead, he spoke a few extra words. His mouth moved up and down, but no sound came from it. As he closed his mouth, his smile widened one last time. His head rolled to the side and lay motionless a moment later. The girl continued to stare down upon him, processing his words. Then, finally, she stood up. Spinning around on her heel, she exited the room, closing the sliding door behind herself._

 _Her heart felt as if it was clouded. She didn't know what was happening anymore. There were only two things she knew: how hollow she was, and a feeling of wanting to be filled with joy._

 **†  
Ex**

I opened my eyes as tears slid down my cheeks. The sky was clear and the sun was shining. My right leg was crossed over my slightly raised left leg and my arms were behind my head. I lay on a roof, now awake, and I quietly waited for my thoughts to catch up.

' _Another weird dream..._ ' I thought to myself after a moment. Every day, when I would sleep, I would experience something such as this. The time was always different, though my body was usually the same. I would see myself in a place I do not recognize, speaking to someone unrecognizable, and feelings would well up within me, but this was the first time I had cried from such an event. "Weird." Frowning to myself, I sat up on the roof I laid on. The tiles did not bother me even slightly; I was used to sleeping on roofs, on trees, or on the dirt ground. In fact, I do not even remember the last time I had slept on a bed.

Shaking my head lightly, I used my right hand to fix the state of my hair. Though not really that messy, I had been sleeping most of the night outside, so the wind had messed it up slightly. It was a quick fix; only really taking a few minutes. Even without a mirror, I had a general feel for what I looked like, so I was able to fix my hair with some level of skill. And if I wasn't sure, I always had the reflective surface of my blade.

After I finished, I stretched my arms back and my legs forward, humming out in relief as I did so. Finishing by breathing out, I stood up. My body was not groggy from sleeping, though my heart wasn't pumping as quickly as it usually was and my thoughts didn't come as quick. ' _Even after all this, I'm still bad in the mornings._ ' Chuckling lightly, I looked around my area. I was on some roof of a residential area. The house I was on had a second floor, though I did not know who lived here and I did not bother to learn when I had borrowed their roof. It didn't really matter; after all, I wasn't breaking into their home.

Walking quietly towards the edge of the roof so as to not wake up anyway still sleeping within, I lightly hopped off, landing silently on the ground beneath me. The grass cushioning my fall, I looked left and right. Nobody was around. Grinning, I left the premises and began to walk down the street. ' _Time to eat~!_ ' Giggling as I thought this, I began my search for food.

 **†**  
 **Hyoudou Issei**

I was currently waiting at the Cafe de Chaton, a certain cafe which had a nice balcony-like area out front next to some trees. I was currently waiting for a specific person to appear so that the two of us could have a talk about something.

The reason for this is because I had called him out over here after Buchou had given me his contact info. Though he was confused and at first unwilling to come, I had managed to persuade him by telling him that it was incredibly urgent and that Asia would appreciate his help. Of course, this was a barefaced lie since Asia was not apart of this discussion, but it seemed to do the trick and get him to agree immediately. I feel bad for using her name for this, but it was one of the few ways I had thought of to get him to agree to come.

So I was sitting at one of the tables next to a bush with my eyes closed as I sipped at some orange juice, bored out of my mind.

' _He's definitely late._ ' I thought to myself in a monotone. ' _If he doesn't show up, I'm just going to have to sick Koneko on him or something..._ ' Chuckling awkwardly as my mouth was still attached to the straw of my drink, a familiar voice reached my ears a few moments later.

"Hyoudou. Sorry, I'm late." The guy who showed up was the Secretary of the Student Council - Genshirou Saji. Showing off his usual arrogant and carefree attitude, I silently regretted in not persuading Koneko to be here - if she was here, he definitely would not be acting like he was better than me. Or he still would.

"It's fine; I'm sorry for calling you out here on your day off."

Waving his hand back and forth, dismissing my words with a carefree smile, Saji shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Well, where is my sweet Asia?" He asked, looking around. "Bathroom?" Guessing this, he pulled up one of the seats and sat down, still looking around with a large grin.

Smiling, I placed a hand on his shoulder, catching his attention. "Well, you see, she had to go - but she asked me to tell you to please listen to our plan. It's incredibly important."

"Plan?" Tilting his head in confusion, Saji was now fully paying attention to me. It might have been because I had used Asia's name, which I am sorry for, but I managed to get him to stay and listen, so I'm not about to waste this opportunity!

"Well, you see..."

It took only a few minutes to explain everything to the Devil Pawn, and as I did so, his facial expression changed from confident and arrogant, to confused and wary, and lastly to terror and fright.

"A-are you serious!?" His voice rang high in the air, completely forgetting about the other customers in the area and pedestrians who are walking nearby. Noticing this, he lowered his voice and moved closer to me, now speaking closer to a whisper. "You must be insane!"

"Please!" Lowering my head down close to the table, I pleaded with the blond Pawn. "It is as I said, so can you please-" However, Saji did not let me finish.

"Don't be ridiculous!" He furiously whispered over to me. "Kaichou will punish us just for being involved in the Holy Swords, but to destroy them!? That would definitely get us killed!" Pulling back, it was obvious that his body was shaking from terror. Sweat lined his brow and his teeth chattered incessantly. "Your Master is strict but kind. Kaichou is strict and then stricter!" Shuddering as he said this, he stood up, preparing to leave.

However, I reached forward and grabbed him by the wrist. "Wait-"

"No!" Pulling back his arm, he forcefully broke free from my grip. "I absolutely refuse!" Walking around the table with a huff, he suddenly stopped moving; though he was still walking. Quickly noticing this, I stood up to see over the bushes he had walked past, just as he looked down towards his side. The reason as to why he was unable to move forward - was because Koneko had grabbed the hem of his shirt.

Of course, the small girl is much stronger than me.

In front of the girl, was a parfait filled with various flavours and sweets - vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, a slice of orange, a piece of cake - the entire works. Koneko opened her mouth to speak, and of course, it was in a monotone, as per usual.

"You were thinking of helping them, as expected, huh?" She voiced, not taking her eyes off of her parfait. As she finished her words, she used the spoon she held in her left hand to scoop up part of the parfait and deliver it to her mouth. She hummed lightly from the taste, clearly enjoying it.

Saji was forced to sit back down, this time, besides the normally quiet Koneko. I sat across from the two, a little uncomfortable, but excited. As I explained things in more detail to the two, Saji tried to leave once again, however, Koneko quickly grabbed him and pulled him back into his seat.

Saji was shuddering and tears could be seen in his eyes. ' _Sorry to do this to you pal, but you're one of the few Devils who would help me so, sorry, not sorry._ '

"Cooperate with the Church?" Koneko asked while scooping part of her parfait into her mouth.

"Yeah." Sitting up straight, I crossed my arms, with my brows furrowed slightly. "They told me that they'd rather destroy the Holy Swords than to let the Fallen Angels have them, but they still want to retrieve them, right?"

Koneko nodded, agreeing with me. "Then what is your plan?" She asked, finally looking away from her parfait. "This is about Yuuto-sempai, right?"

I nodded, confirming her words. At this Saji got up once again, though this time, he smacked his hands against the table.

"Hyoudou! Why me!?" He shouted, drawing attention back upon us once again. Seeing this, he quieted down and lowered himself closer towards the table, though he did not sit back down. "It's your group's problem, right? I belong to the House of Sitri, not Gremory! I shouldn't take part in this, not at all!" The blond Pawn argued this with tears threatening to spill from his eyes. As I thought, he was terrified of his Master.

"Don't say that Saji," I told him with a comforting smile, which seemed to only piss him off. "You're the only Devil - besides Koneko - who seems like they'd help me out."

"Bullshit!" Nearly shouting this, Saji slammed his hands against the table again. "There is no way I'd help you!"

"Now, now, calm down man." I tried to calm him down, but that line only seemed to infuriate him even more. Luckily for me, Koneko was on my side.

Grabbing onto his shirt, she pulled him back down and onto his seat. "Sit," Koneko told him with a slight glance. Saji, who could barely contain his tears, was forced to sit and listen, completely afraid of Koneko. Possible flashbacks from the dodgeball game came back to his mind about what the petite girl did to him, but I ignored all this.

I sighed in relief and silently thanked Koneko for her help. Without her, Saji would've left and I would've been alone to deal with this.

"Back to my plan, Irina and Xenovia have to either destroy or retrieve the Holy Swords that have been stolen, in other words - the three of them will either be broken or taken back. It is likely that one or two will be retrieved and the others destroyed. Which is why - I wanted to make Kiba the main person in this plan."

"...You want Yuuto-sempai to overcome Excalibur and to fulfil his wish?" I nodded my head along with a smile as Koneko spoke. Koneko was indeed smart for quickly connecting the dots.

"Xenovia and Irina have to destroy or retrieve the Holy Swords. Kiba wants to destroy them so that he can accomplish his and his former comrades' revenge. Then we basically have the same aim, right? What's left is to make contact with the two exorcists and see if they will agree to assist us - but that depends on whether or not they'd listen to the words of Devils like us." Scratching the back of my head sheepishly, I chuckled awkwardly. The entire plan hinged on those two girls accepting our team up and after that, we just have to convince Kiba, but if they were to deny our help, then things will become much more difficult.

"...Difficult." Koneko mumbled quietly, though because of my enhanced sense of hearing, I was able to understand her words. I nodded in agreement. "Secret from Buchou and the others?" Once again, I nodded. "It might lead to a fight if we were to meet them. The tension between us and them is high."

I sighed from exasperation. "Yeah, in that case, our lives will be risked. We could even die. That is why - the two of you can leave if that were to happen."

"Please let me leave now!" Saji turned towards me, tears streaming down his cheeks. I could only offer him a half-baked smile, which only drove him to bang his head against the table.

"The negotiation might even be a success! If that were to happen, then I'd like for you to help me out."

"That's so irresponsible!" Saji shouted with his head still against the table.

"I won't run away," Koneko answered without hesitation. "It's for our comrade, so I won't run." Her eyes filled with strength, she said this with no waver in her tone.

"Thank you Koneko-chan!" I thanked with eyes gleaming with tears. ' _Just like in our match against the Phenex, she seems to be burning up inside. She seems to have strong feelings towards comrades._ ' Just as I opened my mouth, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Turning towards my right, I saw a girl with platinum blonde hair and light gold eyes looking towards Koneko's parfait, seemingly with stars in her eyes.

There was some drool coming from her mouth... ' _I guess she must really like sweets? Just like a certain other Rook I know..._ '

However, she quickly shook her head and continued to walk away. It was then that I noticed the sword at her side. ' _Wait, is it possible that she is a third exorcist? Her clothes don't really match though..._ '

Instead of the white robes that Xenovia and Irina were wearing, she wore a light blue haori with white against the sleeves, in the shape of mountains. Underneath the fabric, she wore a white kimono with a black sash going around her waist with a white ribbon tied to the front of it with green underneath the sash. But what stood out the most, was the black scarf she wore around her neck.

Before I could get a closer look at her, she disappeared around the corner. Though confused at her appearance, I manage to shake it off as I turned my attention back to the two Devils sitting down next to me. However, just as I began to open my mouth once again, Ddraig spoke to me within my own mind, so that the other two, or anyone else nearby, could not hear.

{ **The girl that just walked by.** } Ddraig said, before pausing. { **Do not get involved with her. She's trouble. Especially for you right now.** }

I blinked at his unusual words of warning. ' _What do you mean?_ ' I thought back to him, but there was no answer. After waiting a few more seconds, I could only sigh in slight annoyance. ' _If you're going to warn me, then please explain everything to me!_ ' But arguing this was no use; Ddraig was not listening, or did not plan on speaking anymore. Frowning, I shook my head lightly. Taking the memory the image of the girl, I turned my attention back to the two Devils sitting patiently next to me.

"Then, uh, though it might take some time since the odds of finding two people wearing white robes are low, let's start our search right away." I finished a bit lamely, but what can a guy do when he gets interrupted twice?

Koneko nodded in agreement, though Saji whimpered in slight acceptance of his situation. It was clear that he didn't want to help, however, as long as Koneko was here, he couldn't run away. I really have to thank her later. Standing up from the table, leaving some money behind to pay for the drink I had and the second parfait Koneko had ordered, the three of us went off down towards the main street. ' _Since it's the closest, we'll start there._ ' - was what I had decided in my head. With that thought and a smile on my face, we headed off.

 **†  
Ex**

' _Ah, that parfait looked good~._ ' I thought to myself with a slim smile and a slight blush on my cheeks. Wiping at the drool on my lips with my sleeve, I could only fondly think back to the parfait I had seen. "I'll have to come back later then." Nodding to myself, I declared this out loud, getting a few looks from the pedestrians around me, however, I paid them no thought.

As I walked through the streets, I came across many vendors selling food, which I graciously approached and bought from. A few sold them to me half off, but one or two simply gave it to me for free.

Snacks ranging from ice cream to cookies, to fruit, and even some kebabs! I was really lucky that the people in this town were nice and never forgot favours! Smiling warmly as I bit into the chocolate cookie I held, I quickly finished the small snack with quickly timed bites, munching on the sweet with a grateful, red flushed face. "Swou gwood!" I muttered as I ate the cookie, causing my words to come out disfigured, however, I didn't mind it, and those around me found it to be amusing so that only increased my good mood.

It was nice to help others, even if I were to become the butt of the joke. Wearing a wide smile on my face, I soon came across a park. It was in the afternoon, so school was most likely out, so the kids were out playing - that is if there was even school today in the first place. I've never been, though I've heard that it was nice, though difficult. Seeing the kids run about with smiles on their faces and laughing was pleasant to watch - however, joining in on their fun was even more so.

Calling out to the kids with a warm smile on my face, I approached them as they began to stop and stare. Then, they quickly recognized me as one pointed towards me with a beaming smile.

"Ah, it's the scarf lady from the other day!" The kid yelled out, causing the others to remember.

"It is you!" A girl cried out this time, quickly followed by another boy, and then the last girl.

The boy who first spoke out towards me rushed over, followed by the other three. As he stopped in front of me, I bent down, placing my left hand on my knee and my right hand on his head. "Oh, what are we playing today? Tag? Hide-and-seek?"

"Tag!" He answered with no hesitance. "Do you want to join in?"

"Of course!" I agreed with a slight flush to my cheeks. It was always fun to spend time with others and it was especially nice to share fun times with the kids. Making people smile was one of my favourite things - so if I could add on to the enjoyment of these kids, then I was happy.

"Then, you're it!" The kid spoke and turned tail and ran. The three others followed after him, laughing all the while.

With a smile upon my face, I yelled out to them. "Stop right there!" Giggling, I ran after the kids.

It wasn't long before I caught up to them and tagged one of them.

I was actually a very competitive player, and though I held back, I still always won every game I played with the kids, causing them no small amount of grief. However, they all still seemed to have fun, so I never let their bad mood affect me!

It was several hours later, that the kids had to go home. The sun was slowly setting, and though it was a sad thing to see the source of light in the sky set, it was yet another spot of happiness for me to witness it rising back up into the sky.

Some have called me a simple girl, however, I have to disagree. I simply find enjoyment in nearly all things, as all humans should.

Sitting on the bench located at the edge of the park, I stared up at the sky as it began to darken. Counting the few stars that were already out in the sky, I felt a surge of excitement run through my veins, much like lightning against the sky. Smiling thinly, I raised my legs up into the air and pushed off against the bench, landing on my feet splendidly.

Turning towards this feeling, this familiar feel of bloodlust, I grinned. There was a large amount of it collected in a certain area - though I did not know where this area was. I knew the general location, however. If I were to follow this feeling... ' _Then an amazing fight might await me there!_ ' Shouting this within my mind, I took my first step towards this feeling and jumped up into the sky. As gravity began to push down on me, I could only grin in excitement.

Falling back down to the earth, I took a moment to look over the city I had found myself in. It was a wonderful place. It reminded me of the warmth of a parent, though I did not know why this was the case. After a few moments, I neared the ground. Closing my eyes for a moment, I pictured my form in the air.

I landed upon the ground in a roll, as I opened my eyes just before impact. Instead of jumping this time, I began to run. With my arms placed against the sides of my body and my hands behind me, I ran forward, my scarf nearly covering my smiling lips. ' _Here I come; please don't go anywhere!_ ' I pleaded within my head as much as my heart. Hoping to arrive before this feeling dissipates, I placed my trust into my legs and my senses, as they were what would carry me to my new destination.

It didn't take very long to reach the location where the bloodlust had originated from. Though it was out of the way and surrounded by trees, it wasn't very far from the park I had started in. The front had a nice wide area, which was in the shape of a half circle with the building on one side and a rounded wall on the other with an opening made into it which acted as the entrance, with several pillars coming from an above, balcony-like area next to the building, connected to a separate door coming from the second floor, just above the doors at the front.

However, my sights were set towards the doors up a small set of stairs - the front doors, so to speak.

"Well then, let's go introduce myself!"

Smiling simply, I walked towards the double doors leading into the building incredibly calm. My body shook ever so slightly from the excitement I would receive from this. I could already feel my blood pumping through every inch of my body.

Licking my lips, I placed my hands against each door and pushed them open. As I walked inside the building, I noticed that there was a large number of people dressed like that man from that one night. Taking a couple of steps forward, I looked around, counting them.

Just as I returned my attention back to the front, counting around forty individuals, I felt the bloodlust they were emitting turn towards me, causing me to smile even wider.

"What's this? Some sort of lost girl?"

"No way, no way. There's a barrier over this place to cause ordinary people to not come near here."

"Unless that bastard Valper Galilei was lying."

"Uh, hello everyone!" I called out, raising my right hand, interrupting the conversations that were taking place. As I did so, the eyes of around forty people turned towards me. "How has your day been so far? I'm Ex! I would like to fight all of you! Preferably, all of you at once - but I understand if you want to take things slow and observe my fighting style, so we can also do this-"

Suddenly, there was pain spreading through my left shoulder. Blinking, I looked down towards the shoulder, to find that it was now covered in blood. Looking up, I spotted one of the priests holding a white gun, aimed towards me. A slim trail of smoke exited from the end of the gun.

"Like I care about that! Leave now if you value your life, stay and die!" He spat out with a smirk on his face. I blinked and then shrugged. Placing my right hand over my left shoulder, I rubbed the wound slowly. ' _It doesn't hurt that much._ ' I thought to myself. ' _It was rude to shoot me when I was talking, but I didn't hear a gunshot... Oh well._ ' As I stood there rubbing my shoulder, everyone else took out their weapons. Weird cylindrical things that shot out some kind of beam of light and the same kind of gun that the first guy had.

Some dual wielded with two of the sword-like weapons, while others had two of the silent guns. However, there were a few that combined the two and some that only had one weapon.

' _An interesting group! I don't even remember the last time I fought a group of enemies like this!_ '

"Okay! Let's all fight at once!" With a broad smile resting upon my face, I turned my attention back towards the group. Lowering my right hand to the handle of my sword, I revealed that the wound on my left shoulder was gone - even the clothing I wore had been mended.

The priests grumbled out their own string of confusion, but, the fight had already begun.

' _When the fight starts, don't become distracted!_ ' I thought to myself, drawing my katana. "Then, let's see who is the strongest!" Yelling this out, I moved forward, running towards the guy who had attacked me first.

 **†**  
 **Hyoudou Issei**

"Hold on a moment, isn't this the place where we defeated that Stray Devil?"

It was an odd twist of fate, so to speak. On the very first night that we were to start looking for where the Holy Swords were, the same day that we had managed to persuade Xenovia and Irina and then Kiba to join forces, we had arrived here after sensing something incredibly powerful. It wasn't just something like pure power, but it was Holy - that was the reason we had come here, thinking that it had to be the Excalibur. However, Kiba was conflicted, mumbling something underneath his breath. He looked a bit shaken up as if he had recognized this feeling, this feeling of being embraced by death, but when asked about it, he just changed the subject.

"Stray Devil?" Saji asked from behind us. If you're wondering, he had tried to ditch multiple times already, but each time, Koneko was there to stop him in his tracks. Even though he vowed to help us help Kiba, he was still a bit of a coward, but it's fine; I knew he'd come through when it counted. That was simply the kind of guy he was. Probably.

"Yeah, we faced one of them here. It was hard to tell if it was a woman or just a monster, you know? It was incredibly wicked."

We began to walk up the steps as Saji hummed in thought. The building we were at had a wide open area in the front, in the shape of a half circle. Signs of our battle with the Stray Devil was still here, though it seemed to have mostly been cleaned up... ' _Was someone here?_ '

I was forced to stop suddenly as Koneko put out her arm in front of me. Even Saji was surprised at having to stop so suddenly.

"Hey, what's going on?" He asked from behind me, peeking up over my shoulder, however, he couldn't see anything of note. Neither could I.

"Yuuto," Koneko muttered towards the Knight, her eyes going left and right.

"Yeah. I sense it too. Something bad is coming."

At hearing his words, I and Saji began to look around at the same time, however, we still couldn't find any sign of the enemy.

"Above!" Suddenly Koneko spotted the enemy. After she said this, our eyes went up towards the top of the building.

Standing on top of the building, was a familiar man. However, before I could put a name to the face, he jumped up into the air towards us. Lifting his unusual sword, he screamed out like a maniac. "Yahoooooooooo!"

Falling down like so, he swung the sword towards Kiba, who was prepared with his own sword created from his Sacred Gear, [ **Sword Birth** ]. He quickly raised and intercepted the slash from the priest - Freed Sellzen. With a grunt, Kiba sent Freed through the air, though the priest didn't look like he really cared all that much, as he was spinning around in circles. Finally, he landed on top of the balcony-like area, on top of the pillars which rested before the front entrance.

"Thanks for earlier~!"

"Freed, you bastard!" Kiba yelled out towards the white-haired priest.

"That's the Stray Priest you were talking about?" Saji asked, moving into a combat stance.

"Yeah," I confirmed, widening my legs and raising my arms. "[ **Boosted Gear** ]!" Shouting this out, the red gauntlet of the Red Dragon Emperor appeared upon my left arm. A moment later, it shouted out the familiar sound of **Boost**.

"Argh!" Freed grumbled, scratching the side of his head. "With the blonde bimbo inside, making that place Hell that I only just barely managed to escape from without her noticing, and the Devil scum out here polluting the air with shit, this just is not my day!? Seriously, what the Hell is up with you guys and finding our freaking hideout! This is seriously fucking stupid!"

"...What is he talking about? Bimbo? Hell?" Saji questioned in confusion, not really prepared for the way Freed talked, or about what he was talking about.

"I don't really know..." I replied to him, though I quickly shook off my confusion, focusing my attention back towards Freed.

Kiba remained silent, though there was a slight reaction from him that I had noticed. He gripped his left arm with his right hand, letting the sword he had created be held in only his left hand. His arm was shaking. ' _What is wrong with him?_ ' I questioned within my own thoughts, however, there was no time to ask him.

"Ah, ah, I think I much prefer the four of you! A disadvantage against me, through numbers? So what? That bitch inside is basically killing an army! Totally unfair, you know? So, so! I had a _great_ idea! Let me kill the four of you, so that your corpses may brighten up my day!"

Saying this, the bastard priest jumped towards the four of us, landing only a short distance away. Raising his sword, he swung towards Kiba, who remained motionless.

"Kiba, watch out!" I shouted out, snapping him out of his trance, just in time for him to barely block the swing, though he was knocked to the side afterwards. He managed to keep his footing, even if he did lose his balance for a bit. "The feeling of this sword - it's the same as Xenovia and Irina! That must be one of the Excalibur fragments!"

Koneko nodded as she ran forward. Freed turned towards her and smirked. He swung the sword down towards Koneko, but she managed to sidestep the swing and tackle Freed, throwing him down to the ground with a shout.

"Shit!" Yelling, Freed rolled away as Koneko brought down her heel where his head used to be, leaving behind a small crater. I looked towards Kiba, who still seemed to be out of it.

"Kiba, you idiot!" I yelled towards him, drawing his attention. "What is wrong with you? This isn't sleeping time; it's fighting time! So help us beat this shitty priest!" Just as I finished my line, another **Boost** was heard.

"...Okay." At last, Kiba finally responded. Turning towards Freed, he raised his sword back into his stance.

Koneko threw a punch up towards Freed's chin, but he dodged by taking a step back. She then jumped and swung her right leg horizontally towards him, but he used the flat side of the Excalibur fragment to block the kick. Then, with a grunt, he threw her back, causing her to hit the ground behind her, though she quickly got back up.

Using this moment, Freed rushed towards her, swinging his sword down at her. Unable to dodge, Koneko raised her arms, hoping to somehow block the swing of a Holy Sword with her own flesh. However, at the last instant, the sound of a clang was heard.

Coming from the side, was Kiba, blocking the Holy Sword with his own Demon Sword. Due to the surprise, Freed had at being blocked, Kiba was able to push him back and make him lose his balance. Koneko used this opening to rush towards him, aiming a fist at his gut.

"Oops, I'm about to get pummeled!" Freed yelled at, planning something. Koneko noticed, but it was already too late to stop her attack, so she could only go through with it. However, just before Freed could do anything-

"Oh no, you don't!" Yelled out Saji, aiming his left arm towards the priest with his right hand gripping onto his arm, just after the elbow. "Line, attach to him!" A black lizard with a deformed face appeared as it wrapped around Saji's left hand and wrist, causing me to let out a surprised gasp. Then, the lizard opened its mouth and shot out a light blue line towards Freed, grabbing ahold of his left ankle, causing him to lose his balance and fall down.

"H-huh?" Stumbling out this, Koneko was able to give a strong left hook to his face, throwing him up into the air and back. Moments later, he hit the ground, holding his face with his left hand. "Fuck! This seriously hurts! Like, shit really? The face? Didn't anyone ever tell you not to aim for the face?"

"Yes, but they also said that if it was yours, then I could make an exception." Koneko countered, causing the priest to become silent.

"T-that was good... But! But I'm better! Now, to get rid of this tongue!" Raising his Holy Sword, he brought it down to the line that bound him, however, the sword did not cut through. "Huh?" He raised the blade and brought it back down again. There was no effect.

 **Boost**!

' _That's enough for now!_ '

"Kiba, use your Sacred Gear! I'll transfer my boosted power to you, so finish this priest with one attack!"

Kiba glanced towards me, surprised, but then he smiled, grateful. "Thanks. I'll gladly receive it!"

Quickly transferring my boosted power to him, he raised his sword, brimming with power. "[ **Sword Birth** ]!" Yelling out the name of his Sacred Gear, he stabbed the sword he held into the ground, causing a large red magic circle to appear around him. Suddenly, swords erupted out of the ground, point first, all around him. The swords then started to appear closer and closer to Freed, who began to panic.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Yelling out with each swing of his sword as he tried in vain to cut through the line, Freed's expression quickly morphed into that of horror. Standing up, Freed decided to focus on destroying the swords as they approached him instead.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" His yelling quickly turned from each swing with his sword aimed towards the line, towards each swing of his sword towards one of the swords created by Kiba. ' _Though this is surprising, he should really find a different word to yell out._ ' I thought to myself with a frown.

However, a new voice soon emerged from up above the balcony-like structure.

"[ **Sword Birth** ]. An interesting Sacred Gear, if one were to think about it. It grants its possessor a nearly infinite number of powers, however only limited by their intelligence and imagination." The body of an old man approached the ledge of the balcony and looked down upon us. Kiba's attack stopped as his attention turned towards this balding old man. "The inside is quite a mess, covered in blood, though I believe there have been no deaths yet. Quite surprising, actually. And outside, it seems as if our top priest is in a bind... literally."

"Old man Valper!" Freed shouted out, surprised. At hearing this name, Kiba immediately froze, remembering what he had been told by Xenovia earlier:

"That incident also became one of the worst cases among us and people felt disgusted by it. The person in charge of that project at the time was said to have a problem with his belief in the Lord, so he was charged with heresy. Now he's one of those people on the Fallen Angels' side. He is called the Genocide Archbishop. His name is Valper Galilei."

At remembering these words and from hearing the name of the old man who had appeared, Kiba ground his teeth together and glared at the man, hatred clear in his eyes. "Valper!" He shouted, pointing his sword at the aged archbishop.

"Hm?" The older man turned his attention towards the blond Knight, however, with a shrug of his shoulders, he looked back towards Freed. "The Sacred Gear which binds you - judging by its shape and ability, it must be one of those annoying Vritra Sacred Gears. [ **Absorption Line** ]. However, it looks as though its possessor isn't quite used to it yet, so he cannot use it to its full capability. How fortunate of us."

"Then, then do you know how to get this freaking tongue off of me!?" Freed shouted back, waving his Excalibur fragment around like a madman.

"Of course." Valper nodded, a smile forming on his face. "Simply use the Holy power contained within your body and that of the fragment of Excalibur you possess and you can cut through that vexing line with ease."

"Ah, I see! Control the Holy power... and ba-da-bing-ba-da-fuck!" The Excalibur fragment Freed wielded suddenly began to glow golden as the Holy power began to be utilized. With such a golden glow, for just a moment, I felt as if a searing pain had gone through my body, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. Bringing the sword up, Freed brought it down upon the line and it was easily cut through.

"Snap!" Saji shouted as the cut caused him to lose his balance and fall over. A bit pathetic, but I wasn't one to judge.

Now that Freed was back in action, we had to be much more cautious than before.

Looking back over towards Kiba, I noticed that he was still more so focused on Valper than Freed, and Koneko was talking on the phone - most likely informing Irina and Xenovia about the situation, as we had promised. She would've done so earlier, but due to Freed attacking us so quickly, she most likely didn't have the time.

' _But this situation is starting to get out of control... Something needs to happen, or else someone on our side could get hurt, or even die... Shit, we should've planned out our strategy of attack much more than this!_ '

However, before anything else could happen, the front doors of the building opened up and a lone girl exited.

 **†**  
 **Ex**

With my sword now drawn, I proceeded to run towards the priest who had shot at me first. Seeing me approach him, he panicked slightly, however, he quickly aimed the gun towards me and pulled the trigger.

This time, I saw the somehow white glowing bullet fly towards me. Raising my sword, I blocked the shot with the flat of my blade, however, there was no bullet - it was as if the gun had only shot light. Weird.

Raising my sword upwards, the priest took a step back out of reflex and just barely dodged my slash downwards, however, with a smile, I shifted the blade around, so that the edge was facing upwards, and sliced through the air.

With blood raining down, it only took a moment for his right arm to hit against the ground.

The priests around me stared, seemingly stunned, while the disarmed man began to grope at his stump and yell out in pain, tears streaming from his eyes.

I simply stood there, a little bit awkwardly, wiping the blood off of my katana, wondering why no one came forward to attack me and simply stared at me with anger in their eyes.

"T-the fuck is wrong with you!?" The man asked, glaring at me with eyes full of hatred.

"Hm? Well, you shot me in the shoulder, so I was just returning the favour."

"By cutting off his arm!?" A second priest shouted as the first fell down to his knees. He looked like he was in a lot of pain.

"You just don't do that! Not to the right arm!"

"Why the right?" I asked, tilting my head slightly in confusion.

"Uh, well, you see..." The third priest's face turned red slightly and he began to mumble out something, however, I couldn't exactly hear him. "A-anyway! How does getting shot in the shoulder necessitate cutting off someone's arm!?"

"...I don't know?" I answered honestly.

"This chick is crazy!"

"She seems to be pretty airheaded too..."

"She's so cute!"

"Shut up John!" A large number of priests shouted at the last guy.

However, at hearing his compliment, my mind stopped for just a few moments. Blinking sporadically, my senses returned, though my face was still flushed. The priests began to notice my reaction and stared at me with hollow eyes.

"Can we just get back to trying to kill her?" Someone asked, to which I nodded profusely with my lips sealed tight and eyes wide. The priests definitely agreed, as I immediately had to sidestep a downward swing from one of the strange sword-like weapons.

Doing a cartwheel backwards, I dodged several bullets of light and, with my hands against the ground, I pushed back, sending my body into the air. My heart was pumping awfully quick, however, part of it wasn't in the way I had originally expected.

Landing upon the ground, I spun around on my heel and slashed at the priest standing behind me. He held up the light sword, however, my katana easily cut through the beam - and through his eyes.

Though I was surprised at seeing my sword easily cut through the sword-like weapon, I didn't let this distract me from kneeing the priest in the gut with my right knee, and then the moment he doubled over, I kicked upwards with the same leg, kicking him in the chin and knocking him up into the air, falling backwards, as I landed back onto the ground after a backflip.

Turning around, I did a front flip this time over a priest who had tried to stab me from behind, landed behind him, and drew my blade against his back, causing him to stumble forward in pain as he let loose a sharp inhale as he held back his scream. I quickly transitioned into a backflip and dodged two priests who tried to cut me in half, causing their light blades to hit against one another. However - ' _There was a solid reaction when their light blade things touched. Why did mine slip through so easily?_ '

Shaking my head, I decided to stop thinking about this. It was weird that swords that utilized light were even created, but I guess technology must've suddenly improved? ' _Plus, they have no voice, so I'm a bit annoyed. This is the second time now!_ '

Landing on the ground a few meters away from the two priests who had tried to cut me in half, I leapt forward towards them, striking the priest on the right with my right elbow as I kicked the one on the left with my left foot. The two stumbled to the side a few feet, before falling down, but by that point, I was already gone, jumping through the air, doing spins and dodging several of the bullets the other priests fired at me. Though some grazed my body and clothes, none had landed a direct shot on me since that first shot when I was talking.

Landing close against the ground, I immediately did a handstand, just barely dodging a slash aimed at the back of my head. Then, using my hands to spin around, I kicked out at the priests surrounding me, landing the kicks on their chests or face, with one on the neck, causing him to immediately collapse to the ground in pain, most likely, unable to breathe.

Letting my body lower slightly, I pushed off against the ground towards one of the priests' behind me, kicking him in the chest with both feet. Then, pushing off of him, and most likely causing his ribs to break, I launched myself towards a second priest, who aimed his gun at me in return.

Pressing his finger against the trigger, a bullet of light was fired towards me, however, in one quick cut, the bullet dissipated against the might of my sword. The priest panicked, and ducked down, holding his head with his hands, letting his gun fall to the ground - just in time for my sword to go right over his head.

Landing on the ground with a pout, I turned back to the panicking priest. Walking towards him, I casually dodged each swing of a sword or bullet that was sent towards me, by moving slightly to the side, pausing for just a moment, or by speeding up slightly.

The priest I was approaching turned around, tears in his eyes, however, that did not stop me.

Pulling my right leg back, I shouted at the priest. "If you're going to be a coward, then don't attack me!" With this shout, I kicked the priest in the face, launching him forward and into a second priest, who only just managed to stop from falling back after catching him. Bringing my left hand up to my forehead, I let loose a sigh of annoyance. "Ah, that ruined my excitement." With this said, I turned back to the rest of the priests. Quickly counting them, I found that there was thirty-six left. I nodded, a smile being drawn back upon my face. "How is everyone doing now? I'm sure you have a good guess at how strong I am now, right?"

"Y-yeah." One of the priests replied back, more than slightly nervous.

"Eh, it could be worse." A second said.

"John, stop fucking around, or I'll stab you!" A third shouted back at whoever this John was. As my face started to become flushed once again, I quickly shook my head from side to side. Hopefully, whoever this John is doesn't introduce himself to me, or I don't know what to do. Do I stab him, or introduce myself back to him and _then_ stab him? I mean, I'm supposed to be fighting him too... ' _Okay, let's just ignore him. Now, let's get back to what I was saying earlier..._ ' Sucking in a deep breath, I exhaled, and continued.

"I see, I see! Well then, to make things more interesting, why don't I take things a little bit easier, and use one-third?"

The priests then began to whisper amongst themselves. Several nodded, though a few looked unsure. Overall, I think they liked that idea.

"Okay! Then, I see that most of you are in agreement?" More than half of the priests nodded, which was good enough for me. I smiled devilishly. "Now then, don't regret this!" Sliding my left foot back and my right forward, I hefted my sword up, with the blade dipping downward slightly and the blade facing downwards. My usual stance. However, only one thing was against this norm. A thin white aura clung to my form, one that glowed ever so slightly, and if one was not paying proper attention, it would easily be missed. " **Rhythm Blade**!"

The white aura surrounding my form began to split off from my body, towards my left and right, though it was both back slightly. The aura then began to take a shape - a shape resembling myself. Growing outwards, up and down, the aura began to define the shape into a perfect resemblance of my body and structure. And then it started to add colours and details, creating a perfect mimic of myself. Clothes wrapping around the forms and a sword held in their hands. With a posture identical to myself, I had effectively created mirror clones of myself.

It was an unusual technique, do not get me wrong. One could easily confuse this for something crazy, like magic. However: This was simply a technique I had picked up somewhere long ago.

"Now then." The three of me spoke at the same time. "Twelve for each of us, to make a total of thirty-six divided between us." Smiling thinly, we awaited the reaction that the priests would inevitably let out at seeing this technique.

"W-what!?"

"That's bullshit!"

"You tricked us!"

"Oh shit, there's-"

"John, this is not the time!"

A smack was heard, though it was ignored by the three of us.

"What are you talking about?" I on the left replied.

"We did not lie, not at all!" I on the right replied.

"I said we'd use one-third; one-third of our strength split off into three separate parts. You simply did not let me finish my line."

Once again, the three of us waited patiently for their reactions.

"Bullshit!"

"You stopped with that one-third garbage!"

"Don't lie to us!"

"But, they're so-"

"John, so help me God I will murder you!"

' _Okay, we're just going to continue the fight now._ '

At the same exact moment, the three of us launched forward towards our own corner of the room. As we moved forward, the priests turned back towards us, and lifted their weapons, though there was the feeling of listlessness coming from them. Something akin to despair.

However, this did not stop the three of me from attacking them, or them from attacking us.

It took only a short while, but the remaining priests were quickly dispatched of. We made sure to hold back enough so as not to kill a single one, though the room did get a bit bloody, however, we ignored this.

"I finished first!" The second me spoke, proud of herself.

"No, I finished first!" The third me argued, pouting cutely.

"No, no." I waved the two off, with a small smile. "We're the same individual, so we probably finished at the same time. Besides, I was first, and you know it."

"Lies!"

"I agree; you are just lying right now."

"Yeah, yeah, well, you both are me, so no matter who is first, second, or third, we're both all first, second, and third." The two nodded, apparently agreeing with me. Then the one towards my left placed her hand on my left shoulder as the one on the right placed her hand on my right shoulder. "Maybe next time we'll be sparring?"

They shrugged, before grinning.

"I know I'll be the one winning." The one on the left said, before turning back into the white aura, which flowed back into me from the touch on my left shoulder.

"Nope; that'll be me." The same phenomenon happened right afterwards, and after a few moments, the two were completely gone, as well as the white aura surrounding my body.

I giggled quietly. "Nope. It will be me; since we're both the same person, whichever one wins... I win." Muttering this, I spun around on my heel and headed towards the door that I had entered in from. ' _Since just past the middle of this battle, there has been something going on outside. Perhaps I can catch another fight so soon? That'll be really exciting! I just hope that they're stronger than these priests. Quality over quantity, as they say._ ' Then, I paused. Lifting my left hand, I gripped my chin as I began to think really hard. Then, I spoke aloud my thoughts. "Wouldn't a large number of high-quality individuals be the best outcome?" Whispering this and thinking on it some more, I nodded vigorously.

' _They say having quality is better than having quantity. However, that is incorrect! If you have both, then you truly are the best!_ '

Wearing a large smile on my face at having figured this out, I pushed open the double doors with plenty of energy.

* * *

 **I very nearly combined chapter 3 with 4, but I managed to stop myself. The scene with Issei and co. arriving at the place was in the next chapter, as well as the small scrimmage with Freed. Actually, this chapter wasn't supposed to be this long in the first place and a lot of it was improv. Like the terrible comedy in the middle of Ex's fight, which sort of fits her in a strange sort of way.**

 **Anyway, how did you like it? There was a lot of pauses in writing this, so I can't say I had kept the previous chapters' quality while writing this chapter, but as you might have guessed already, there will be more fighting next chapter, so I can't wait to botch it up too.**

 **However, I do not think a fight scene will be taking place in chapter 5 since I'll be putting everything with the ending, is with Kokabiel, being in chapter 6, which will probably make it incredibly long...**

 **Either way, if there are any inconsistencies, then please let me know, so that I may fix it later! I'd love to see some constructive criticism so that I may improve my writing skills...**

 **And with that, I hope everyone has a good day and a good night!**

* * *

 **GreyTheta:** _Thank you! I enjoy the kind words :D_

 **ian25rebel:** _Lol, I'll ship it too! It's surprisingly accurate._

 **Axel Fones (chapter 2):** _Thanks for the great words man! As everyone knows how he is at this point in time, he won't be saying much to anyone about what he has been up to. After all, he didn't tell anyone about Freed until he was told about Valper, so why would he talk about Ex until later? But don't worry, he will get to explain what had happened that day soon!_

 **Axel Fones (chapter 1):** _Thanks, I hope I didn't disappoint with this chapter!_

 **DeadMenPlaying:** _Thanks! I hope I don't disappoint._

 **Guest:** _I don't see why that is funny but okay!_

 **Sonic:** _Thanks!_

 **Rihavein-Zero:** _I already mentioned you last chapter, but I still love your review mate._


	4. Sword 4

"Excalibur!" – Saying out loud.  
' _Excalibur!_ ' – Thought.  
[ **Boosted Gear** ] – Sacred Gear/Balance Breaker.  
" **Giga Drill Break!** "/' _Giga Drill Break!_ ' – Technique; will not be bolded if it is not being spoken/thought.  
{ **You're a Wizard Harry.** } – Ddraig/Albion/Beast/Other speaking.  
 **Pov:**  
 **X** = Third person.  
" **name** " **or ?** = First person.

 **Sword 4: Versus**

 **†**  
 **X**

Walking out of the double doors of the building, was a girl with golden blonde hair, with a wide smile on her face. A sword at her side, she strode confidently forward a couple of feet before finally stopping as she looked left and right at the people gathered before her, with a small glance upwards towards the old man who stood on the balcony-like structure.

Her hair had traces of blood left on it and the right side of her face had a trail of blood on it, though there was no injury. Her haori was covered only partly in blood, though it was oddly disappearing without a trace as the seconds ticked by, almost as if something was sucking up the blood. The sheath of her katana dripped red with blood, leaving a small trail behind her from the doors.

To everyone gathered here, who did not know of her, had the same thought run through their heads: ' _She's dangerous!_ '

Clicking his tongue with an angry grimace on his face, Freed took a step backwards, but this sound caused Ex to look his way, recognition flashing through her eyes.

"Ah, it's the priest from back then!" She pointed towards Freed with her right index finger, nearly bouncing up and down in joy.

"God fucking dammit!" Freed cursed, though this only earned a slight tilt of the girl's head in confusion. Yuuto narrowed his eyes towards Ex, though he kept his attention mostly directed towards Valper. "Can't you, I don't know, go kill yourself? Or better yet; let me stab you to death!"

Towards this, Ex frowned, crossing her arms. "If I do that, then how would we fight?"

"Yo- I- What!?" Freed yelled out, confused. Shaking his head, he turned a rage-filled glare towards Ex. "Like I give a shit about your opinions! Just go fucking die, you bitch!" Shaking his Excalibur fragment around, almost like a raised fist shaking towards kids who were hustling an old man, Freed shouted at Ex with a vein bulging on his forehead, however, Ex merely shook her head calmly.

"If you want to kill me," she said, dropping her left hand down onto the pommel of her katana. "Then you'll have to kill me yourself." Issuing a challenge towards the priest, she caused his blood to boil. Grinding his teeth together, Freed very nearly ran towards her out of rage and without a plan, however, Valper shouted down at him.

"Control yourself, Freed! If you let anger consume you now, you won't stand a chance! However..." Jumping down and landing next to the stopped Freed, on his left, Valper placed a hand down upon his shoulder. "If we face her together, then there is little doubt that you will come out on top. What do you say?"

Freed giggled, a smile appearing back onto his face. "If it means killing this bitch, I'd even team up with a Devil~! Let's kill her together, old man Valper!" Yelling this out, Freed took several steps forward, before raising his sword, preparing to fight. He seemed as if he had calmed down, but the vein on his forehead still bulged out of frustration and anger. He was just more controlled now.

Valper nodded and raised his hands with the palms angled upward and towards each other, similar to a v shape. "Then, let us tussle!" Moving his hands in a peculiar fashion, Ex blinked in confusion, while the Devils surrounding the three, backed away subconsciously at the sense of danger coming from Valper. "Believe in God, for He shalt save you, lost lamb!"

Just as he finished his hand motions, a golden magic circle appeared underneath him, shining with a Holy light. The same kind popped up just above Ex, and at its appearance, she looked up at it, eyes wide and full of confusion. At the same time as this, she let go of her katana with her left hand and opened her lips slightly.

"Ooh, one of the famous exorcising techniques you created!" Freed grinned, tightening the grip on his sword. "She's fucked now!"

"Chains of Heaven, bind and bound those who have sinned to Your will!" Making another set of hand motions, a smaller magic circle, white this time, appeared before his hands. The same magic circle appeared underneath the feet of Ex, which drew her attention away from the one that had appeared above her head. "And let those who pray to You, be bathed in Your glorious light!"

At the end of his words, the golden magic circle shined incredibly bright, causing everyone, minus Valper, Freed, and Ex, to shield their eyes. At the same time, white chains popped up out of the ground and surrounded Ex, grabbing ahold of her arms, wrists, legs, ankles, body, and neck, keeping her locked into place. She groaned as she struggled slightly in vain, as the chains perfectly held her in place, though she looked more curious in how they had appeared than at trying to break free from the magical chains made out of light.

The Devils instantly became wary of such a technique, as the light shining from the chains most likely was poisonous to them. Saji cautiously turned his arm which had his Sacred Gear wrapped around it towards Valper, while Issei activated his [ **Boosted Gear** ] again so that he could continue increasing his power. Koneko took a stance, balling up her fists, though Yuuto didn't do anything, except glare at Valper as he gave short glances towards the now bound girl.

The light that was gathering above Ex shined brilliant, before it rained down, covering her form in a bright light that could be said to be hotter than that of flames. Melting the ground nearby, this light burned her body, causing her skin to burn and darken as the hem of her clothes began to burn up, however, Ex did not baulk at this light nor the pain she had felt.

Staring towards the two priests, she slowly forced her right hand, regardless of the chains holding onto her, towards her sword in order to draw the blade. However, at seeing this, Valper immediately shouted towards Freed.

"Go! Before she breaks free, strike her down!"

"Gladly!" Agreeing to this set of plans, Freed raised his sword and ran towards Ex.

"Strike at the chains, for they will do double the damage back upon herself!" Valper suggested, and at hearing this, Freed's grin grew wider.

"They possess such a hidden ability? Hah, this will be fun!" Saying this, Freed increased his speed as he approached Ex.

With a small amount of strain, Ex's hand came into contact with the handle of her blade, however, just as she covered it with her hand, gripping it, Valper finished making three more hand motions.

"May the light gather and fester, transforming into a dagger that may strike at the heart of the sinner, for our Heavenly Lord and Father!"

Spikes sprouted out of the chains, puncturing into her body, be it the hands, arms, legs, feet, chest or back, the spikes dug into her body like that of knives. Blood dripped out from her punctured flesh and stained her clothes, while at the same time, causing Ex to cough up a small amount of blood and make her lose her concentration for a slight moment.

At the same moment, jumping up, Freed slashed his Excalibur fragment down upon one of the chains wrapped around Ex, and upon its severance, a blinding light exploded towards Ex, causing her to become blind for a few moments.

With an intense pain spreading throughout her body, Ex coughed up blood. As the light faded away a few seconds later, it revealed Ex with half of her face blackened from the heat, and her right eye closed, most likely, unable to even be opened. Though she was not breathing heavily after such an attack, it was obvious she was in pain at the slight shaking of her body.

Yuuto was incredibly surprised at seeing Ex, the girl who had so easily defeated him and Freed, like this, while the other Devils only felt concern for the girl that looked as if she had been defeated and nearly killed. Valper grinned in satisfaction, while Freed cheered out loud as he prepared to cut another one of the chains. However, before he could do so, faster than anyone present could comprehend, a streak of blood ran through the air from Freed's chest, causing him to let loose a surprised gasp as he fell back a few steps from the sudden pain.

Breaking free from the chains that had bound her with one flex of her body, she clearly drew the sword from its sheath and cut it across the air and through the front of Freed, easily slipping through his clothing and through his flesh, letting a river of red blood flow free.

Valper took several steps backwards, surprised at the chains being so easily broken free from and Freed jumped back away from Ex, yelling out curses as he did so.

Ex straightened her body, and everyone gasped at what they had seen.

After the chain had been cut, half of her face had been burnt and blackened. However, now, it had mostly healed. As the seconds ticked on by, the damage inflicted upon Ex was healed, until, at last, her body and even clothing were in perfect shape, as if the last few minutes had not happened, though there was still blood clinging onto her sheath, sword, face, and hair. She opened her right eye, showing that it was also fine and grinned.

"That was pretty cool!" She spoke towards Valper. "Valper, your name was, right? That was an interesting technique you used. How did you do it?" Valper only choked slightly at hearing her say this, in such a way as if she was actually insulting the techniques he had created to destroy Devils. He balled up his fists and crunched his teeth together, glaring at the girl who had insulted his pride so easily, though without intention to do so. Narrowing his eyes, he slowly went through plan after plan in his head. ' _How do I beat this monster?_ ' He thought to himself quickly, thinking back to what he had seen the blonde-haired girl do within the building when she fought the worthless priests and outside against him and Freed. ' _Numbers will not work if the pawns involved are weak._ _If even my own attacks did not work, then what of using my strongest technique? If that damned Freed were to keep her busy, I could possibly pull it off... but would it even work? And what of the Devils? Now that this monster is fine, they might attack us from behind, using her to trap us here and slay us. That blond-haired Knight is still staring daggers into my back; who even the Hell is he? He looks a bit familiar, but where exactly? Bah, none of that matters! We most likely cannot defeat this monster at this moment in time. If Lord Kokabiel was here... Then the only option left, is to..._ '

Turning towards the damaged Freed, Valper yelled out his name, getting his attention. Freed turned around, curious as to what Valper was going to say. "Use one of your light bombs; we're going to escape, so get over here!"

"Roger doger, old man Valper!" Replying with this, Freed turned back to Ex and jumped back, getting closer to Valper, but at the same time, keeping an eye on the blonde girl. "Bye-bye, you blonde bimbo! Devils." Spitting out the last word as if it was disgusting, Freed snatched a small ball from his coat and raised it. At seeing this, the Devils' eyes lit up in recognition and Ex narrowed her eyes, slightly leaning forward, as if preparing to leap towards the two.

Freed threw the ball down, and the moment it connected with the ground, it exploded in a bright light which blinded everyone present. However, at the same time that it exploded into light, Ex moved forward swiftly and quickly towards where the two priests were standing. Pulling her sword back towards her right, she slashed upwards towards the left and felt a small amount of force against her blade - the familiar feeling of cutting into flesh.

Pulling the blade back, the light slowly faded away, all the while, Ex kept her head turned towards the two priests as they made their escape.

' _Eyes are meaningless to a swordsman. Even without them, you can still be the greatest._ ' Thinking this to herself, she hoped that showing the two that she still knew where they were even as they ran away, would teach them that little tricks like this did not mean that much when facing a master such as herself.

Once the light faded away completely, the Devils, though slightly shocked, were not surprised that the two priests had escaped. What had caused them to be shocked, was that Ex was several meters closer to them, with her sword being covered in more blood than before the blinding escape. They had an idea of what this meant, but at the same time, they didn't want to voice their thoughts, as it only showed that she was much stronger than they had thought.

' _Could she see them?_ ' Yuuto thought to himself, his eyes narrowed and a frown touched upon his face. ' _If that's the case, then there is more of a reason to not fight her again!_ '

Ex looked towards the Devils, seeing that they were still there. Instantly upon seeing them, her eyes lit up at the challenge. ' _These four are stronger than the many priests inside that building! I was right; quality and quantity are better! ...Though there are only four of them._ '

Coughing into her left fist to get their attention, Ex smiled. "Now then... who wants to fight next?" Addressing this challenge to the four of them, she patiently waited for their response.

The first person to make a move was, surprisingly, Hyoudou Issei. "Guys, it seems like she just won't let us go." Muttering this to the three other Devils, he glared towards Ex.

"What? No! We can't fight her!" Yuuto countered with a slight panic in his tone, but Issei shook his head.

"If I could defeat that immortal chicken bastard, then I think we can beat a random girl who can somehow regenerate!" Raising his voice, so that even the blonde-haired girl in front of them could hear him, he announced their victory to her. ' _Even if Ddraig told me not to... what other choice do we have but to win in this situation?_ '

"That's the spirit!" Ex cheered, raising her sword into the sky. "But, even so, fighting spirit alone will not guarantee your victory." Frowning as she spoke this, she leaned back slightly, while resting the blunt side of her katana over her right shoulder and closed her eyes. "Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts." It was the words of Winston S. Churchill, a Prime Minister of the UK, politician, army officer, and writer. "Your courage is remarkable, but it will not be what gives you success. After all, your defeat was assured the moment I had appeared, but that doesn't spell out your end." Nodding to herself as if she was proud of her lines, Issei could only stare at her unconvincingly.

"That doesn't matter!" Shouting this out, he waved his left arm to the side. Another **Boost** was heard, making it the fifth one after transferring his power to Yuuto. Ex's eyes were drawn to the gauntlet instantly. "Even if you outclass us in every way, we will still win!" However, Ex did not respond, as she still stared at the gauntlet. Tilting her head to the left slightly, she pursed up her lips in thought. Finally, she parted her lips to speak.

"...I was right. That's a cool gauntlet."

There were no more words that could be said. The four Devils immediately entered their own combat stance and attacked.

Saji moved to the left, aiming his Sacred Gear towards her, but did not fire yet. Issei moved back a few steps, placing his left arm before his chest, ready to defend himself if he had to. Koneko ran towards Ex from the blonde-haired girl's left while Yuuto approached from the other side - a pincer movement, in other words. Ex looked left first towards the white-haired Devil and then right towards the blond-haired Devil, before looking forward at both Issei and Saji, and then smiled. With her katana still placed onto her right shoulder, it appeared as if she was going to fight without even so much as getting into a stance.

Yuuto slowed down and let Koneko attack first. The smaller girl jumped up and raised her left leg, intending to deliver an axe kick as she fell back down to the ground with gravity on her side. Ex turned her body towards Koneko, letting her back be open to attack from Yuuto, however, the Knight did not strike and instead stopped just short of Ex. ' _Wait until the moment she moves. Then strike fast._ '

Thinking this, Yuuto narrowed his eyes as he bent his body forward slightly. Seeing this, Koneko understood his intent clearly. As her foot neared the head of Ex, she pulled her leg back at the last moment, missing Ex by a few inches, which surprised her slightly. Landing onto the ground, Koneko jumped towards Ex, with her left fist flying upwards, intending to punch the taller girl in the chin. Ex sidestepped the uppercut but did not counter.

Seeing this, Yuuto also decided not to attack just yet. He had understood the meaning of why Ex had yet to move her own blade - it was because she was saving the first strike for him, who used a sword.

Moving around, Yuuto continued to place himself behind Ex, so that she could not see him as she was focused more so on the attacking Koneko, though she still knew he was there behind her. Koneko attacked, swinging a fist towards Ex, who dodged at the last moment with only the most minimum of movements. Kicking, punching, nothing seemed to connect, which made Koneko anxious. However, she did not stop her assault, for the moment that Ex made a misstep, or attacked, then Yuuto would go on the offensive.

Realizing this, Ex smiled thinly.

' _The priests within the building could not coordinate their attacks this well, however, these two can do so without a word. Yuuto is using the girl before me to distract me, and the moment that an opening reveals itself, he will launch himself towards me on reckless abandon with the sole intent on finishing the fight as quickly as possible. Not even I could stand confidently if I had a sword thrust through my back. Then, let us give him an opening and see if he takes the bait!_ '

Jumping up into the air, Koneko aimed to punch Ex's face, but the girl stepped backwards, just barely dodging the fist. Turning around midair, Koneko landed on her left hand and immediately pushed off from it and threw herself towards Ex, with her right leg extended, going for a kick. Due to Ex taking a step back, she was slightly unbalanced, though it didn't matter that much.

' _If I go backwards, I will still be hit. If I step to the side, she can just swing her leg toward me. Then, I will grab it!_ ' Deciding on this course of action, Ex lifted her left hand forward and grasped Koneko's foot. The smaller girl let out a small gasp that could barely be heard and before she could do anything else, Ex swung her arm toward the left. Koneko's eyes widened as she realized what the blonde-haired girl was doing.

Swinging the body of the petite Koneko around herself, Ex's aim was to hit Yuuto, who was behind her, with the body of his friend. However, the moment that Ex had grabbed ahold of Koneko and began to swing her around, he had moved forward, lowering his body close to the ground, so as to dodge underneath the swing. The body of Koneko flew over his head, and just for a moment, it had blocked his line of sight towards the standing girl. It was that moment, that Ex was aiming for.

Swinging her katana down towards the Knight, she forced him to block the swing, causing his offensive to immediately fail and force him to go on the defensive. Letting go of Koneko, the body of the white-haired girl flew through the air as if she was shot through a cannon. She pierced through one of the columns and hit the ground with a roll, blood already running down her forehead from the impact, causing her to become lightheaded immediately and her vision to become blurry.

Swinging her sword again, Yuuto blocked the second strike just barely, and with a thrust, Yuuto was forced back. ' _She's just toying with me!_ ' He quickly realized, grinding his teeth together. His hands turned white as his grip on his sword increased. ' _But, that will be what costs her this fight!_ '

Swinging his sword to the side with a loud yell, he clashed his blade against Ex's, causing her to step to the side slightly from the blow, forcing her to become unbalanced slightly again. Ex frowned at his strategy, believing that even if he could unbalance her completely, it would be meaningless. Yuuto glanced towards the Pawn of Sitri, to which, Saji immediately understood what to do.

"[ **Absorption Line** ]!"

The mouth of his Sacred Gear opened up and shot out a light blue tongue, aimed towards Ex. The girl, not really understanding what it was, raised her right arm and blocked the attack with her wrist, however, that was a complete mistake on her part due to her lack of understanding. The tongue wrapped around her wrist and with a pull, Saji forced her to take a step towards him. With her right wrist bound, she could not properly fight using her katana with it. She would have to switch hands, however, there was someone here who would not let that happen.

"Yuuto, I'm transferring power to you!" Issei shouted, running towards the Knight.

"Thanks!" Accepting the power without much thought, Yuuto felt grateful towards the Pawn, and with a smile, he attacked Ex with swings and jabs, waiting for his friend to approach.

Ex, unable to properly swing her sword, could only position her body so as to dodge each swing and thrust. Every time she would try to attack or defend with her sword, Saji would pull her wrist back, thus offsetting the trajectory of her blade, even if only by an inch. And then, Issei slapped a hand down upon Yuuto's back.

 **Transfer!**

With that announcement completed, Issei jumped back, giving Yuuto some room. Ex looked from the Pawn to the Knight, not really understanding what the announcement she had heard meant. Taking a few steps back, Yuuto glared at Ex, who simply blinked from confusion.

Raising his blade with the point facing downward, he shouted out the name of his Sacred Gear with all his heart, putting the entirety of his strength into it.

"[ **Sword Birth** ]!"

Stabbing the blade into the ground, a red light danced around the blade, and within that light, multiple blades sprouted from within the ground, causing Ex to gasp and to take a subconscious step back. The blades then began to close in around Ex, however, Saji, once again, pulled on the line, causing her to lose her balance. Looking towards the Sitri Pawn for just a moment, Ex looked back at the blades erupting out of the ground.

To her, time had slowed down to a quarter. Her mind was a whirl, multiple thoughts racing through her head as she processed what was happening. ' _What is this line? Because of it, I can't move freely nor swing my blade freely. What were that boost and transfer thing? What caused Yuuto to be able to sprout all these swords out of the ground? The number is incredible. I didn't know he could do that with that [ **Sword Birth** ] thing. These guys... individually, their not that strong - but together, they're pretty strong! This will be fun._'

In that moment of realizing this, Ex smiled. This smile tripped the alarms in Yuuto's head, and just as he began to shout towards the other Devils to watch out, a loud sound was heard. The sound of a blade shattering. Looking back towards Ex, he realized that she had cut through several blades that had approached her. Even though she was not supposed to be able to swing her sword the way she wanted because of Saji's interference.

And then the blond Knight realized something important when looking towards the girl's wrist. Though the line was still wrapped around her wrist, it was not connected. It had snapped. The part connected to her was uselessly flailing around in the air, though it did not look like it had been cut, but more that it had been torn apart from force alone. Yuuto glanced towards Saji as another line of swords that had blossomed towards Ex had been cut down.

The Pawn was on the ground, groaning in pain and for some reason, he was several meters closer than what he should've been.

Yuuto's eyes widened, realizing what had occurred when he had been distracted for just a second, trying to warn the others. ' _When Saji pulled, Ex pulled back with just enough force to cause the line to snap. This caused Saji to fall forward towards her, which is why he's closer._ '

As Saji started to get up, the light blue line that was attached to his Sacred Gear disappeared, and as it did so, so did the line that was still wrapped around Ex.

"Shit, sorry!" Saji shouted.

"It's fine!" Issei replied with a yell, grinding his teeth together at seeing their plan fail miserably.

With a final swing, the last of the swords were cut down. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Ex relaxed her body. Closing her eyes, she let her head hang back slightly as if she was trying to look towards the stars. Then, with another release of a breath, Ex opened her eyes and looked back down towards Yuuto, then Issei, and lastly Saji.

She then nodded with a smile, confusing the three standing Devils. "Though its a shame for one of you to be knocked out before she could shine, I would like to commend your strategy. It was truly wonderful. Now then..." Moving her body into the stance she had taken when she had first fought Freed and saved Yuuto, her eyes shifted into a cold stare. "I'll take this a bit more seriously."

Upon finishing that line, she disappeared in a whirl of wind. Blinking, Yuuto took a step back, startled, as she appeared before him, sword pulled back towards her right. Widening her eyes with such a ferocity that incited a bit of fear into Yuuto, she swung her blade towards him, parting the air. Yuuto raised the Demon Sword he held futilely; he knew that it would not last against this strike.

However, the ringing of steel on steel was heard, shocking Yuuto and the two other Devils. The sword Yuuto held wasn't broken, it wasn't even touched. Instead, a figure wearing a white cloak now stood in front of Yuuto, having had jumped down from above. In her hand, appearing as a two-handed sword with a rather long grip, that has a cross in the pommel, with an axe-like guard and a second grip with a chain-like form connecting the guard with the blade, with the blade itself being huge ending with three points, instead of the traditional one.

It was none other than one of the seven Excalibur fragments, the one wielded by the exorcist Xenovia.

Ex, not expecting this, was pushed back with some strain. Taking several steps back, she analyzed the situation and the two newcomers that had appeared, almost out of nowhere. The girl who stood before Yuuto had short blue hair with a streak of green going across it and brown eyes and the girl who was helping up the white-haired girl, who had light brown hair tied into two twin tails and violet eyes.

"Are you okay?" The brunette asked the petite Devil, who simply nodded in answer as she wiped away the blood clinging to her head. As she did so, Irina took off her cloak and tossed it over to the ground as she turned her attention towards Ex. Xenovia did the same, though in a more wild manner, throwing her cloak up into the air and letting it slowly fall back down to the ground.

Ex looked back towards the girl who had blocked her with a low hum. For a moment, her smile had fallen from her face, but now it was rejuvenated. Looking around once more, she nodded. "Hello everyone!" Her words were loud, interrupting the thoughts and conversations that were taking place among the Devils and the two exorcists who had arrived in their aide. Looking towards Ex, the tension was clear in their bodies and in the air. Their weapons raised and eyes set ready to fight, Ex continued. "I'm Ex! May I have all of your names? It's getting a bit hard to differentiate you all, haha!" Rubbing the back of her head with an awkward laugh, she closed her eyes with no caution whatsoever. Then, her eyes snapped back open as she raised her index finger as if a sudden thought had entered her head. "Ah, but not Yuuto, since we already met. How are you doing?" Saying this towards the blond-haired Knight with a cheery smile, that one would give to an old friend, the attention of the Devils and exorcists gathered turned towards him with a questioning gaze, however, the Knight shook his head.

"I would be doing much better if you were to leave." He said instead, addressing Ex, who nodded in agreement.

"Yes, most people would do better if someone close to them was gone, I do agree. However! I can't just leave without finishing a fight! That's an insult to these brave warriors who still hold arms against me!"

"...No, I think they'd be happy if you were to leave..." Yuuto mumbled before sighing in exasperation. "Regardless, we aren't just going to-"

"Hyoudou Issei." Interrupting the Knight, the Gremory Pawn spoke up, pointing towards himself with a thumb. Pointing towards the Sitri Pawn with his index finger, he continued the introductions as Yuuto facepalmed. "Genshirou Saji."

"H-hey! Why did you introduce me for!?" However, Issei ignored him and pointed towards Xenovia.

"Xenovia Quarta." Then his finger turned towards the last two to be introduced. "Toujou Koneko. Shidou Irina."

With introductions finished, Ex smiled brilliantly.

"Thank you, Issei!" Using his first name without regard, Issei could only scratch the back of his head with an awkward laugh. Saji, appearing from Issei's side, jabbed his hand, with the fingers extended, into his side, causing the Devil to shout out in surprise and pain.

"Hey, what was that for?" Grumbled Issei, rubbing his side with a disgruntled look on his face.

"For introducing me!" Saji shouted, grabbing Issei's shoulders and shaking the poor Pawn. "I don't want my name to be known to that crazy girl!" At his words, Ex giggled, drawing the attention of the two Pawns.

"Crazy? Maybe!" Apparently finding no insult in his words, Ex smiled without even the slightest sign of anger or annoyance. "But I think I much prefer being called special. It certainly has a nice ring to it, you know?" With a charming smile and slight red in her cheeks, Saji stopped for just a moment as his heart skipped a beat.

Then, he muttered so that only Issei, who was still within his grasp, could hear. "...I think I want my name to be known to her..."

Likewise, Issei replied with half-lidded eyes. "Dude, make up your mind." Saji then rounded on him, eyes wide and shouted in his face, spittle flying from his mouth and hitting him.

"But she's so cute! I thought at first she was just some crazy battle-maiden who only cared about fighting us, so I didn't want her to know my name just in case she only kills those whose name she knows! But, after listening to her and seeing that smile... Issei, I might be in-"

"Dude, chill out!" Interrupting his confession with a hand to his face, Issei pushed Saji away from him. "And let go of me already!" Finally, Saji let go of Issei's shoulders and stumbled back, rubbing his nose. Turning an anger filled eye towards Issei, Saji gritted his teeth, however, his anger quickly dissipated at hearing Ex's next words.

"C-cute? Me? Uhm... Why does this keep happening today..." Looking away like an embarrassed schoolgirl at having been asked out by the guy of her dreams, a rather large flush extended itself across Ex's face, from one side to the other. It would be very appropriate to call her a tomato at this moment. Twiddling her fingers together with an awkward smile on her face, she did her best to not look towards Saji.

' _Is being complimented her weakness!?_ ' Yuuto thought to himself with a shake of his head, slightly disappointed. ' _Or is it just towards her looks? Either way, that is just..._ ' Frowning at his thoughts, Yuuto didn't know what to make of it.

However, while everyone was getting distracted, there was only one person not affected by the conversation that had just taken place.

Jumping up into the air and letting gravity push her back down to the ground, Xenovia raised Excalibur Destruction. Not even noticing the girl approaching from the sky, Ex didn't, or rather, couldn't defend herself. Slashing the sword downwards, the blade easily cleaved through Ex's left shoulder to her midsection at an angle, almost taking the entire arm off, and shocking everyone, especially Ex, to such an extent that they forgot to breathe for just a moment.

Ex's eyes were huge and the pupils dilated, she had stopped breathing, and for just a moment, she felt as if everything had disappeared. Blood flew into the air as if it was sprouting from a smashed watermelon, which stained the left side of Ex's clothes in blood and covering Xenovia's sword and part of her body in the red blood. Ex looked down at the crouched Xenovia, who slowly stood back up, glaring at the girl. Ex continued to stare into the brown eyes of Xenovia, without moving an inch.

When Xenovia stood back up to her full height, hefting up her Excalibur fragment onto her right shoulder, she finally spoke. "This is a fight, you idiot. Don't get distracted."

Ex's lips parted slightly, but no sound came. Her eyes shook as she dropped her katana onto the ground, the point stabbing into the dirt. Raising her right hand, she placed it on the gash that Xenovia delivered to her. With no smile on her face, Ex removed her hand and stared at the red blood of herself for a few moments, before balling up her hand into a fist. Raising the fist to her face, she used it to cover her ever-growing smile. With her fist trembling slightly in excitement, she lowered it down, revealing the smile she had, with a small amount of blood smeared onto it from her fist.

"Exciting. This is really - really exciting!" She spoke with such certainty and excitement in her tone, that even Xenovia, who had delivered such a deadly blow to the girl, blinked. Then the Devils remembered what had happened just a few moments ago. How Ex had somehow regenerated from being severely burned from light.

"Shit, she can-!" Issei tried shouting out, but it was too late. Swinging almost too fast for Xenovia to react to, the mostly blue-haired girl was blown away with a clang of blades. Somehow grabbing her dropped sword too fast for anyone to notice, Ex was in high spirits. The gash which had torn apart her clothes and flesh was already healing. First the flesh and then the clothes.

To the Devils, it was something they already knew would happen, though even with this knowledge, they were still shocked that it only took a few moments to heal completely. To the two exorcists who came afterwards, they were surprised at seeing this and even question what race she was. However-

"I am just a normal girl, you know?" Ex's response came as a shock to them. "But enough about that! Let's get back to our wonderful fight!" Rushing forward, Ex swung her blade towards Xenovia, who took a step back as she blocked with the flat of her Excalibur fragment, using the flat side to knock away the sword, causing Ex to take a step to the side. Raising her blade, Xenovia prepared to bring it down onto the girl, but just as quick, Ex brought hers up and the two swords met halfway.

Suddenly, Ex jumped back as a blade was lunged towards her side - Excalibur Mimic, which had stretched itself towards her as if it was a whip, wielded by Irina. Seeing this, Ex was surprised and also in awe. ' _I didn't know there were swords that could stretch!_ ' Ex thought excitedly, ducking underneath a slash from Yuuto's Demon Sword, surprising him slightly as he had attacked from behind the girl. Leaning forward, Ex let her body fall to the ground and landed with her left hand on it. Springing her body up, she pushed off the ground and kicked Yuuto in the chest with both feet, causing him to lose his breath and knocking him back. Before he could even go a foot away from Ex, she twisted around midair and swung her left leg, connecting with the side of his head and causing him to be launched off to the side and into the side of the building.

As he made contact with the concrete wall, Yuuto spat out blood and spit, and landed with a bump. His body ached, and yet he knew he could not stay down. Grinding his teeth together, he used his sword as a crutch to help stand up. Looking towards Ex, he saw that she had just flipped over a slash from Irina, who had reverted her Holy Sword back into a katana and had attacked her close up with Xenovia. Blocking a slash from Xenovia, Ex used the much larger sword Xenovia wielded to kick off from it, getting some distance.

Spinning her katana in the air thrice, she let the point face downwards. Her right hand glowed white, with a slight trace of gold mixed within it.

Over on the side, Koneko muttered to herself, surprised at seeing this. "Senjutsu?"

With a smile on her face, Ex announced the name of her new technique: " **Birthed Blade!** " To Yuuto, the name was eerily familiar, to the point that it only increased his anxiety. Ex stabbed her blade into the ground, causing it to shine with a white light, similar to when he had used his Sacred Gear earlier with the power given to him by Issei. Eyes widening, he realized what was about to happen.

"Watch o-"

Just as he started to speak, several blades, which were of an ethereal blue with a wispy tendril-like smoke coming off and around the blade, began to spring up from the ground around Ex, surprising everyone, though Yuuto only ground his teeth together from being proven right. The blades forcefully erupted from the ground, slightly transparent, and approached Xenovia and Irina at an alarming rate. Each moment, at about around seven of these blades sprung up out of the ground, and each time, they were several meters closer to the duo and within a second or two, the two would be hit by the attack.

If Yuuto hadn't been knocked into the building, he would've countered with his own Sacred Gear.

Perhaps it wouldn't have had been enough. But he would've at the very least, tried.

' _She had copied this part from when I had used it against her._ ' Reflecting back on the first part of the fight, Yuuto regretted his decision.

However, the two exorcists were not out of it yet.

"Xenovia!" Irina shouted, moving behind the mostly blue-haired exorcist.

"Right!" Hefting up her blade to her right side, a large amount of Holy power began to collect in the blade, causing it to shine a rich gold. With a yell, Xenovia swung the blade forward towards the blades and using the powered-up Excalibur fragment, Xenovia was able to send a blast of Holy power in the form of a slash forward, which cut through each of the blades as they sprung up and the ones that had already appeared as it travelled the distance towards Ex, whose eyes widened at seeing this display.

Raising her blade from the ground, Ex slashed down at the blast, disrupting it and dispersing it to the sides, however, at that moment, she had not seen Irina's attack, as it was just behind the bright blast. Changing her katana back into a long whip-like weapon, Irina had thrust it forward and followed after Xenovia's attack, aimed at Ex's chest - her target being that of Ex's heart.

' _Even if she has very strange regenerative abilities, if we take out the heart, then she cannot live!_ '

With that thought as to the premise of her attack, Xenovia and Irina bet everything on this. If they take Ex out now, then they could certainly be called fortunate. However, if the fight drags on for too long, then who is to say as to what would happen?

The blade approached Ex on a linear path to her chest. With eyes wide at seeing the blade near her own chest, Ex's first thoughts were not on dodging; but of attacking. Twisting to her right side with a quick spin on her heel, she allowed the blade to slash through her flesh and with another step, she completely turned around and began to run towards the two exorcists. Surprised at this turn of events, Irina clumsily pulled back her blade, aiming to turn it back into a katana so that she could fight at a close range, while Xenovia manoeuvred herself in front of her, raising her Excalibur fragment before her as if challenging Ex.

Smiling, Ex already had a plan in mind.

Approaching the two, she immediately moved her blade to the side, knowing what Xenovia would do to counter. Seeing this, Xenovia swung her sword towards Ex, which caused the girl to smile in glee. Stepping off to the side quickly, Ex leapt towards the flat of the blade. Kicking the flat of the blade, Ex used it as a vertical platform, similar to that of a wall, to launch herself over Xenovia, surprised the girl. Landing between her and Irina, to who had finally reverted her Excalibur fragment into a katana, she lunged forward towards Irina, who hastily parried the stab, pushing the blade to the side with the flat of her blade, with it being positioned downward. Then, stopping midstep, Ex twisted around and swung horizontally, causing Irina to jump back and Xenovia to quickly raised her blade to defend herself.

Taking a step back from the force, Xenovia was late to the punch, quite literally, as Ex's fist rang itself against her skull, causing the girl to stumble to the side for a moment, vision hazy. Turning back to Irina, Ex lightly jumped over a swing and kicked the blade down and out of Irina's hand. Surprised at this, the girl could offer no additional defence and was swiftly kicked in the gut, causing her to double over. Then, with her blade positioned at her feet, Ex slashed upwards, cutting through Irina's left shoulder, causing Irina to let out a yelp at the pain.

With a rage, Xenovia shouted and attacked Ex from behind, slashing her sword filled with Holy power towards her. Smiling at the challenge, Ex copied her.

Filling her sword with her own willpower, Ex's katana was covered in a golden light which outshined even Xenovia's Excalibur fragment. Surprised, though unwilling to be outmatched, Xenovia roared with all her spirit, to which Ex matched with an open-mouthed smile as the two swords clashed together, causing a bright light to shine forth. However, it was not the Holy Sword of Destruction which prevailed from this contact.

Xenovia quickly found herself outmatched, even with all of her strength put into the blade. Surprised at this, she could do nothing as she was blasted through the air like a cannonball. Hitting the wall surrounding the premises with such force that the wall split apart several meters from impact, Xenovia fell back onto the other side, hitting the ground with a bang. ' _S-shit... just how strong is that girl!?_ ' Stunned at such a clear display of power which even overpowered her Excalibur fragment, which was known for its destructive capability, Xenovia could only offer up one thought: ' _If I use Durandal... Could I match her?_ ' Xenovia was unsure of whether she could or not, but even with everyone in danger, she was still unwilling to use the blade, as she could barely control it as is.

Breathing out a sigh of excitement, Ex beamed towards the last of her foes. "This has been pretty fun so far! Seriously, I haven't fought this hard in some time, I think?" Though somehow questioning her own words, Ex tilted her head slightly, with her left index finger on her bottom lip. "Either way, let's wrap this up soon, okay?" Getting back into stance, Ex decided to wait for whoever to attack her next.

Yuuto wasn't in a good state to fight, however, he could still do so.

Irina was injured, but she was still good to go.

Xenovia was barely conscious as it was, so she was most likely out of the fight.

Koneko was still light headed from getting smashed through a pillar, but she couldn't be counted out yet.

Issei and Saji were both uninjured, but they were far from being powerhouses.

Relatively speaking, it was their crushing defeat. But something, somewhere inside of them, refused to back down. Perhaps it was Ex's fighting spirit affecting them on the subconscious level, but the six aforementioned individuals did not want to go down without a fight. Yuuto, forcing himself to approach Ex from the side, Irina transforming her katana back into a whip-like weapon, though not as long, and moved behind the girl, Xenovia dragging her body up and back towards Ex's front, Excalibur Destruction in her right hand, Issei, who had just finished stacking as many **Boosts** as he could, began to figure out the best strategy in order to take down Ex and who to **Transfer** his power to, and Saji, who pointed his Sacred Gear towards Ex.

None of them refused to stand down. They would fight until they could no longer. It was all because of the strange feeling welling up within their chests; the feeling of being enclosed on all sides by the embrace of death, but having enough life left to fight back - it was an odd feeling as if two elements that were not supposed to mix together were filling their beings. And it all stemmed from the swordswoman they were fighting.

With a shout from Xenovia, the last part of their battle continued.

* * *

 **I originally had this chapter be longer, going past the limits of 10k words... Well, it's not really a limit, but who cares? Anyway, since it's been some time since I last put up a chapter, I wanted something out to quell your impatience and whatnot. Unless you forgot about this series, but eh, let's not talk about that, hm?**

 **And so, the remainder of chapter 4 will be combined with 5, which I think makes more sense given the title of the next chapter...**

 **My schedule for writing isn't that great, I mean, I don't have much time to write as it is. I basically write at the very least 1 to 2 hours a day and can get out 1 to 3 thousand words, though a lot of that time is looking over what I had last written. After posting a chapter, I take a few days off to go over what will be happening in the next chapter, so the time between a chapter and the next could be one to three weeks, simply due to, laziness in part with thinking, in part with actually writing. This chapter took, about four or so days to write? Unsure.**

 **I hope you guys liked and enjoyed this chapter, and have a wonderful day and or night!**

* * *

 **DarkDrawerJ:** _Thanks! I try and make things interesting, and you'll surely see more interesting things in the future!_

 **angus281299:** _Thank you, and just as the above comment, more interesting things are to come._


	5. Sword 5

"Excalibur!" – Saying out loud.  
' _Excalibur!_ ' – Thought. If put in a sentence with quotation marks it is stressed.  
[ **Boosted Gear** ] – Sacred Gear/Balance Breaker.  
" **Giga Drill Break!** "/' ** _Giga Drill Break!_** ' – Technique; will not be bolded if it is not being spoken/thought.  
{ **You're a Wizard Harry.** } – Ddraig/Albion/Beast/Other speaking.  
 **Pov:**  
 **X** = Third person.  
" **name** " **or ?** = First person.

 **Sword 5: Peerless**

 **†**  
 **Rias Gremory**

Sighing, I ran a hand through my crimson red hair, straightening it out from after having washed it. With my eyes closed, I silently waited for the reaction of my friend towards what I had told her only a few moments ago. At her voice, I opened my eyes and glanced towards her.

"Really? Kiba did?" Sona Sitri asked me, blinking with a frown upon her face, slightly confused and completely concerned.

"Did I... make a mistake?" I asked her in a low tone, looking down with my eyes nearly shut tight. My body felt numb as if I had no energy left. Nearly sighing again, but stopping myself by clamping my mouth shut, I ran my hand back through my hair as if it was still tangled up. I looked slightly towards my left, as Sona shook her head.

"He is part of your House, right?"

"Of course." I nodded with strength in my movement, contrasting against how sluggish I felt. "No matter what he says, there's no way I'd let Yuuto go." Crossing my arms, I closed my eyes as a line of water ran down between them and onto my nose. Though it tickled slightly, I ignored it in favour of keeping my dignified stance.

Sona made a noise, suggesting she was giggling, even though the look on her face was not one of amusement. "The House of Gremory is famous for their strong bond between its family members, isn't it?"

"Yes." I agreed with her immediately, though slightly uncertain towards why she was confirming that. Every member of my peerage, or of my brother's, shared a close bond with each other. They were all friends or friendly rivals. Be it with each other, or with their King. It was a far cry from most other peerages which had their members act like literal servants towards their King; it was extraordinarily unbecoming, to the point that it made me sick that I shared the same race as them. There are many peerage members out there that wish to break free from their King's rule, but they are either too weak or they fear retribution from their King, their family members, or from being called a Stray and hunted down.

"It's true that his feelings may have gotten the better of him for now, however, he is also a member of the House of Gremory, Rias," Sona spoke nearly in a monotone as she turned towards me with a serious expression. I made a noise of surprise, turning towards her as she continued. "Kiba will return. Definitely. That is just the kind of person he is."

I stared at her for a few moments, surprise evident in my eyes, before looking back down, closing my eyes with a smile adorning my face. "Thanks, Sona." As those words finished passing between my lips, two magic circles, one red, one blue, appeared before our eyes. The red before me and the blue before Sona.

The image of our Queens phased into existence above the circles, though they were both slightly transparent. Standing up straight with their hands clasped together, both in front of their bodies, they looked completely serious, as if a murder had taken place.

"Excuse us." Himejima Akeno, my Queen, spoke.

Smiling, I nodded towards the two. "Thanks for the hard work, you two."

"It's pretty late, isn't it, Tsubaki?" Sona said towards her own Queen with an analytical frown. "Well?" She questioned, waiting for the news the two had to give.

"The situation is incredibly grave. We came as fast as we could, and yet..." Trailing off, Akeno then looked towards Tsubaki, as if she couldn't even find the words to describe what had happened. At seeing this, I also frowned. ' _Something is clearly wrong. If Akeno doesn't even know what to say, then something serious must've happened._ '

Pushing up her glasses with her right index finger, causing the light to cover the lens, blocking her eyes from sight, she explained with a quick breath. "As we were making note of where the Stray Exorcists were hiding, we came across Hyoudou Issei, Kiba Yuuto, Toujou Koneko, and Genshirou Saji. We decided to follow them and see what they were up to, and after feeling an immense amount of Holy power in the air, the four then headed towards it. We had considered stopping them, but decided against this, so as to ascertain what they were up to."

From here, Akeno took over. "At seeing them approach a building that we had previously scouted out earlier to have a group of Stray Exorcists dwelling within, they fought against Freed Sellzen, a Stray Exorcist that had previously aligned himself with the Fallen Angels that had made the abandoned Church their home."

Lifting a hand to my chin, I quickly and easily remembered the vulgar Exorcists that I had the unfortunate luck of meeting. "So he was still hiding out here..."

"It just means that we've been lax in security," Sona replied, crossing her arms. "We'll have to increase our level of security after-"

"I'm sorry Kaichou, but the report has yet to finish." Tsubaki interrupted, bowing her head. Sona paused for a moment to look at her, then nodded to continue. At seeing this, she did so. "After battling against this Stray Exorcist, another soon appeared, and by listening in, we confirmed his identity as Valper Galilei, the Genocide Archbishop, who had previously come up with and conducted the Holy Sword Project."

I ground my teeth together in anger, anger for my Knight, Kiba Yuuto. Noticing this, Sona placed a hand on my left shoulder, catching my attention. Looking towards her, she shook her head slightly. I stared at her for a few moments, before looking away and released a pent-up breath, calming down. "Please continue," I said a moment later with a wave of my hand. "What else happened? Because if it was just those two, then your alarm shouldn't have been warranted to this degree..."

Akeno nodded and continued with the rest of the report. "After Valper had appeared, a monster had exited the building."

"A monster?" Tilting my head to the side, I sent a sidelong glance towards Sona, who looked just as confused as me, or perhaps, even more so.

"Can you explain in further detail?" She asked with a calm, analytic glint in her eyes.

"Of course," Tsubaki replied. "After a short dialogue, the two Stray Exorcists attacked her, meaning, that she was not part of their group. However, any attack they had committed towards her, regenerated moments later. Even her clothing had mended itself. Her entire being was Holy power personified. As if God of the Bible's miracle existed within herself." Tsubaki felt a chill go down her spine, causing her body to shiver at the reminder of that dreadfully Holy feeling.

' _The ones closest to her most likely couldn't sense it, but Akeno and I could. It seemed to be a type of vacuum around her; it didn't exist immediately around her, but outside of a certain radius, it could be felt. It was incredibly odd._ ' Tsubaki thought to herself with a frown, looking down towards her right.

"I can see why you called her a monster, however, even with something such as regeneration, Hyoudou Issei was still able to beat Riser Phenex by using his weaknesses against him. Surely this girl isn't invincible?"

"I'm afraid I have to disagree, Kaichou." Tsubaki shook her head, surprising Sona momentarily. "After having witnessed her battle against the two Stray Exorcists and then against three of Rias Gremory's peerage and one of yours, I cannot say that she can be defeated. It is more like she is..." Struggling to find a word to explain, Tsubaki glanced towards Akeno, who nodded and finished for her.

"Peerless." With that single word, a shiver went down my spine, causing me to hug my body tighter with my arms.

"Without equal," Sona muttered a moment later, glancing downward. "That would truly be tricky to fight against. A true monster, in all terms. Correct?"

"Yes." The two Queens spoke in a monotone and nodded at the same time. Akeno continued with a frown on her face. "Though it is odd..."

"What do you mean?" I asked her with a frown on my face.

"Given her strength, she should've easily been capable of killing everyone... but she held back. It was confusing, to say the least." Sona took note of that immediately but shook her head afterwards.

"Enough about that." Sona interrupted with a clear voice. "It's time to talk countermeasures and our plan of action against her." With a determined nod, I motioned for Sona to continue. Nodding back, she turned back to the Queens and continued. "First off, make sure everyone knows - of Rias' peerage and of mine - that no one is to initiate combat against this girl. A needless risk is too risky; if she decided to kill any one of us, then it would only end in a demerit for us. We're already at a disadvantage; if she is truly as powerful as you say. Along with the Stray Exorcists and possible Fallen Angel activity, we're already spread thin."

"I can understand that." I nodded. "But what are we going to do with this current situation?"

Sona spared a glanced towards me and continued. "First, Rias and Akeno - the two of you will collect Asia Argento; her Sacred Gear [ **Twilight Healing** ], will be very necessary towards recovering our strength. If my hypothesis is correct, then this girl will not kill a single one of us."

I gasped out in surprised. "How can you be so sure? After attacking my precious members, and even your Pawn, how could you say something like that!? It's taking all of my self-control to stop myself from immediately going out there right now!" With my hands clenched into fists, I felt the warm touch of blood slide between my fingers and drip down upon the tiled flooring. Glaring at my friend, my body shook with rage.

Sona didn't even bother to look at me as she continued, ignoring my words. "Tsubaki, you and I are going to go and check out the situation and wait for Rias to arrive with her Queen and Bishop. We will be coming up with a strategy to defeat this girl as we analyze her movements, attack patterns, habits - anything we can in order to gain an advantage over her."

"Sona-"

"It will be an incredibly difficult battle, but depending on the information we gather by watching, we may be able to overcome her power. However, there is also the risk that-"

"Sona!" I shouted, interrupting her. Stopping mid-sentence, she slowly turned to look at me with annoyance clear in her eyes.

"Yes?" She asked with an incredibly calm and cool voice, eyebrow raised.

"Explain - why don't you think she would kill any one of us?" With anger in my tone directed towards Sona, I slowly let out my Demonic power, letting a crimson red aura cover my body.

"Himejima Akeno said it herself." Sona easily waved off my question, causing me to become confused. "That ' _she held back_ '. If she did not hold herself back, then there would be casualties. However, there have been no deaths. And going by her words, this girl seems to be the type to _not_ kill others. Meaning, there is no need to hurry. No need to rush out there. We can calmly analyze her and come up with effective countermeasures towards fighting against her. If she is the type of person I believe she will be, then no one will die - even if we were to partake in the battle right now, I do not see much of a difference in how she would act."

"..." I was silent. I couldn't find the right words to argue against her - it was always like this, ever since we were young. Sona would always, easily and calmly, argue against my words with a soothing tone, that I just could not find a point to argue with her logic. There was no doubt; Sona was smarter than me. There was rarely a time when she was wrong, even with such a hypothesis such as this one, I could see it happening. I breathed out a breath and lowered my head. "Fine. We'll go with your plan. Akeno; go and grab Asia and meet me in the club room. I will be there shortly.

"Yes, Buchou." Bowing, the magic circle before me disappeared, as Akeno cut the magic.

"I will be going now too Kaichou," Tsubaki announced, bowing as well, before disappearing.

The two of us sat in silence for a few moments, before Sona stood up. Following her lead, I got up with a wave of my hair. Looking towards the glasses wearing girl, I opened my mouth to apologize, but Sona held up a hand.

"Apologies are not needed." She answered, predicting what I was going to say. "After all, if someone were to tell me the same thing, I would also most likely become angered, so I can understand." I nodded as my smile returned. "Besides, even though I said that I'm also angry. With this girl - and with Saji for disobeying orders." Glaring at the wall as if it was Saji, I giggled slightly.

"Yes, I will also have to have a talk with my precious peerage members for doing something so rash." Stretching my arms behind my back, I hummed in slight pleasure at the feeling. "Then, I will see you later."

"Yes, see you then." With that, the two of us teleported away - me to the Occult Research Club room and Sona to the Student Council room. There would be a lot of preparation needed, both for the Stray Exorcists, the possible Fallen Angels, and this girl that had appeared, as well as talking to my three adorable peerage members who thought it was a good idea to throw caution out to the wind and charge towards danger. However, as much as I could say that or think it, I somehow could not find the strength to be angry at them.

Smiling, I decided to give them a lighter than usual punishment and with a sense of urgency in my step, I hurried to put on my clothing.

 **†**  
 **X**

"Lord Kokabiel! I bring the most unfortunate news." Valper Galilei breathed out, bowing his head low towards the Cadre. Sitting lazily on his red throne, with his legs laid over the left arm of the throne and his right elbow is being used to support his head, he lifted his left hand a moment later and gestured for Valper to continue, before putting it back down at his side. "We have lost our secondary base of operations."

"So?" Kokabiel yawned, clearly tired and uninterested. "You interrupted my nap for something as boring as this?"

"N-no! Of course not!" Intimidated, Valper hurried to explain himself as sweat dripped down his cheeks. Freed, who was standing at Valper's side, though a few steps behind him, placed a hand over his mouth, in a futile effort to stop himself from laughing. "It is the monster which we had encountered that's the issue! I fear that if she turns her blade towards us, your wonderful goal of starting the second Great War would be-"

"Foolish." Waving off his warning, Kokabiel sighed. "To have such incompetent minions is such a terrible thing. I truly do envy Michael, sitting on his golden throne all day with his weak and soft Angels doing all the work for him - gladly." Shaking his head sarcastically, Kokabiel wore an unusual expression - one suggesting that he was melancholic about the past. However, the war-loving Fallen Angel quickly changed said expression to outrage as his focus returned back to the present. "You still wish to say something stupid?" Sitting up straighter on his throne, Kokabiel snarled towards Valper, who took a step back from fear.

"L-lord, with all due respect-"

"I do not need your respect." Kokabiel interrupted in a calm voice. "I need your fear. Respect is merely a word used to incite betrayal. With fear, there will be no betrayal, as no one would be foolish enough to incur my wrath. Now then," waving his hand, Kokabiel returned to lazily sitting down in his throne. "You may continue your nonsense."

"Ooh, old man Valper, Lord Kokabiel is displeased with you!" Freed giggled from behind the Archbishop.

"Quiet, you dolt!" Valper snapped towards Freed, causing the white-haired young man to pause before grinning victoriously as if he had won something. Shaking his head from annoyance from having to deal with Freed, Valper turned his attention back towards Kokabiel - to which he finally noticed the look of displeasure on his face from his reaction towards Freed's taunts. "F-forgive me, Lord Kokabiel, I-"

"Silence. Continue your _report_ and get out of my sight."

"Ye-yes, of course!" Valper coughed into a fist before continuing. "This aforementioned girl released tremendous amounts of Holy power, which dwarfed even my and Freed's own power, similar to that of an Angel of high standing. In fact, I could not sense a limit to it, suggesting that it had been heavily suppressed, and I could only sense it once I was a certain distance away from her, which was incredibly odd. It was as if this Holy power was being sucked up by her, but if that's the case..." Valper stopped for a moment as if thinking on something, but after a moment, he shook his head. "Ahem. What's more, is that she possessed some form of regeneration, and even after having half of her face burned away and one of her eyes turned useless, she healed completely in a matter of seconds! E-even her clothing! It was as if a miracle from God of the Bible had been breathed into her..." Placing a hand onto his chin, the gears inside Valper's head slowly began to turn, with what he had just said and what he had thought only moments before. But just as an answer started to drift into his mind, Kokabiel spoke up.

"Regeneration does not matter."

"L-lord?" Startled out of his own thoughts, Valper blinked from confusion.

"Regeneration. Does not. Matter." Speaking slowly and matter of factly, Kokabiel made sure each word was stressed enough so that Valper could understand and comprehend. "In the face of absolute might and power, something as small as regeneration is easily overturned. I have done so countless times in the last war. If you believe, that even for a second, that this _girl_ of questionable origins could ever be considered a threat for myself, then you are sorely mistaken."

"Y-yes, of course, Lord Kokabiel! You are absolute after all! The strongest! My, I would even think you could easily defeat even the likes of Sirzechs!

"Quiet. Your words matter little since you cannot even comprehend that hideous Devil's might." Scoffing, Kokabiel turned from Valper towards Freed. "Do you have anything to add into our little discussion, homunculus brat?" Freed ground his teeth as he began to give Kokabiel a death stare, one that which the Fallen Angel was unaffected by, giving his bored expression. "I see. Then, the two of you are-"

"As a matter of fucking fact, I _do_ have something to add! Lord Kokabiel-sama-lord-chan-master-sir.

Kokabiel stared down at Freed with such disdain, that if looks could kill, Freed would be dead thousands of times over.

"If you dare, even for a moment, or even within your own thoughts, call me something as hideous as that again, I will personally rip off your tiny dick and feed it to you for dinner. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes..." Freed took a small step back as his body shivered from the aura exuding from Kokabiel to the point that even the building they were in was shaking. "A-anyway, my makeshift report!" Kokabiel raised an eyebrow as he calmed down. The building settled a moment later, no longer shaking and cracking as it was before. "This crazy sword girl is actually pretty stupid! I was sure old man Valper would've mentioned that, but I guess he wanted to make himself look better." Shrugging, Freed grinned towards Valper and Valper made a fist, though he hid it by holding said fist with his hand. "But anywho! From what I observed with my eyeballs and not those balls, while she seems to be moderately disgustingly great at using a sword, she doesn't take too much seriously, as she holds back constantly! Like, the fuck is up with that, ya hear? It's outrageous to even suggest that I, a truly great human being, is lesser than her! Why, if I could, I'd bend her over and fu-"

Kokabiel held up a hand, causing Freed to stop immediately. Closing his eyes, he massaged his temples with his other hand, as if he had a headache. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and glared towards Freed, dropping his raised hand back to his side. "I am no longer interested in your report. The pair of you may leave - do not come back until it is time to begin our plans. I do not wish to see the faces of those who have failed and annoyed me so."

"Haha, old man Valper, Lord Kokabiel's angry at you!"

"That means you Freed!" Kokabiel snapped, slamming a fist down on his throne, causing the room to momentarily shake. Seeing this, Freed hurried towards the door. Pushing it open, he ran out without even waiting for Valper to catch up.

Once the two were gone, Kokabiel sighed from exasperation, as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. After a moment of thought, he settled back down onto his throne and back into a comfortable position, before he finally closed his eyes. ' _If they believe that some random sword girl can defeat me, or even a group of greenhorn Devils, then they have another thing coming. Once they are useless to me, I will personally kill them. Especially that white-haired brat. I will enjoy castrating him when the time comes._ ' Chuckling Kokabiel then turned his attention back towards the plan he had formulated within his own mind.

Gathering the Excalibur fragments and using them to create great destruction, one which would annihilate the town. At first, the plan was merely to steal the Excalibur fragments, but the Church only sent two human Exorcists which carried more fragments. Then the plan shifted into killing the sisters of two of the Maous. After this event, the next Great War would then start and he will be at its centre. It mattered not if he were to fall during battle or if he were to be captured by the enemy and sealed within Cocytus due to starting the war; it was what he desired. To be judged for his actions.

That was all he ever wanted.

But he had been denied this privilege when it had disappeared, the only being he felt, besides his Creator and Lord, who had the right to judge him. Adopting a melancholic look, he thought back to those times, when he was a Pure Angel, when he was friends with Michael, and when it was around for him...

However, as much as he wanted to, he could not remember its face or its form.

Sighing from frustration at this lack of memory, he shifted his position on his throne and slept.

 **†**  
 **X**

Swinging her Holy Sword of Destruction down towards the blonde-haired girl, Xenovia truly gave it all she had. When fighting, she found holding back to be tiresome and boorish, thus, she never does so. When training, others would frequently get blasted away, especially when she was training with her Excalibur fragment, given how its power was literally that of destruction itself.

However, the mysterious girl before her had not been affected by that.

Blocking the downward strike with the flat of her blade, Ex tilted her sword slightly, letting Xenovia's blade run off of it, causing the taller girl to step forward out of balance from the sudden lack of force against her own. Hardly a moment later, the pommel of Ex's sword was slammed into the mostly blue-haired girl's gut, causing her to cough out some spit and blood, before knocking her back and down towards the ground.

At the moment that she was falling through the air, Xenovia saw Irina attacking from behind. Thrusting her Excalibur fragment forward, letting the blade stretch out, she aimed to strike Ex square in the back. However, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, Ex twisted around so that only the back of her haori was cut, and kicked off forward towards the Japanese exorcist.

Shocked, though not quite surprised, it looked as if Irina was defenceless. However, jumping up into the air with a backflip, revealed Koneko behind her. At seeing the small girl, Ex paused for just a slight moment, but with a grin, she continued forward, pulling her sword back.

However, just as she began to swing, two blades cut through the air from the ground catching Ex's sword before it could take flight, courtesy of Yuuto's Sacred Gear. Before Ex could break free, several more swords sprang up from the ground, piercing through her feet and into her arms, as well as her legs and thighs, ceasing all of her movements.

Koneko stepped forward, fist balled up and sent a straight punch into Ex's stomach, causing the girl to cough up blood. However, the girl was not sent flying back, as the swords kept her in place. Koneko pulled her fist back and sent another flying towards Ex.

However, just before landing, an ethereal blade emerged from the ground, with the flat facing towards Koneko. The ethereal blade managed to hold up after getting punched by Koneko, but that's when her luck ran out. Just as she began to pull her fist back from the cracked blade, Ex grinned, eyes glowing a soft gold with flecks of white dancing within. Seeing this, Koneko gasped as a sharp pain went through her body. Emerging from the blade of the sword Ex used to defend herself, was another blade - which easily and smoothly pierced through Koneko's hand, even though she had the defensive capabilities of a Rook. From that second blade, a third slid out, though this went upwards at an angle and through Koneko's arm. Then a fourth, followed by a fifth. Until Koneko's right arm had been completely hooked by seven blades going in and out of her arm.

Tears appeared at the corners of her eyes at the pain going through her body from this, and as distracted as she was, Koneko was unable to do anything to stop Ex from breaking free from the swords that pinned her in place. Spinning around, Ex roundhouse kicked Koneko, causing the blades in her arm to crack and break apart, before disappearing in a wisp of blue light.

As her foot touched back down to the ground, Ex sidestepped to her right, dodging a slash from Yuuto, who held his Holy Eraser. Parrying a thrust, Ex forced Yuuto back. Swinging her blade down towards him, Yuuto managed to twist around out of the way, though Ex wasn't done. Letting go of her own sword, Ex lightly hopped up and slammed a kick down against Yuuto's right arm, causing his shoulder to dislocate. Breathing out a sharp breath, Yuuto dropped his sword just as Ex slammed down her foot against the handle of her own - while it was still falling - and sent it spinning back up and into her left hand. Seeing this, Yuuto's eyes widened as she sliced through the air, cutting his chin and forcing him to scramble back out of panic and pain. Not bothering to chase him down, Ex casually leaned her head to the side as Xenovia tried to stab her Excalibur fragment through the back of her skull.

Spinning around on her heel, Ex slammed her hilt against Xenovia's head, causing the girl to stumble to the side, ears ringing. Before she could shake off the feeling, Ex kicked upwards, nailing her in the chin. Xenovia fell back, biting her tongue as blood dripped down from her mouth. However, before the mostly-blue haired girl could hit the ground, Ex sent a kick into Xenovia's stomach, causing her to get sent flying back and coughing out blood mixed with spittle.

"Whew. This is a pretty good fight, wouldn't you- whoa!" Jumping back a few feet, Ex dodged Saji's Sacred Gear [ **Absorption Line** ] before it could grab ahold of her wrist again. "Hey, that's not ni- hey!" Leaning her head back, she dodged an uppercut delivered by Issei. Stepping back, shes dodged a wild swing of his leg and then sidestepped a punch.

"Stop dodging!" The brunet yelled, lunging forward as he attempted to grab her.

"Can't do that!" Ducking underneath the grab, Ex lowered her body underneath Issei's, causing him to have to look down - and see the pommel slam into his nose. At the hit, he jumped back, holding onto his nose as blood seeped out of his nostrils. However, his distraction was not in vain!

The moment that Ex had used her pommel to hit Issei, Saji redirected his line back and grabbed ahold of her left ankle. Not noticing this, Ex slowly approached the backing away Issei.

"Shit, shit, shit..." Mumbling this, Issei looked at his gauntlet. "Two more Boosts and I'm good to go!"

After saying this, a **boost** was heard. "One more!" Looking back up, he saw Ex dashing towards him. "Fu-!" However, halfway to the Devil, Saji pulled back with his line, causing Ex to trip and fall to the ground, forcing her to bash her face into the ground.

Her sword flying free from her hand, Ex was bewildered by what had just happened. Propping herself up with her elbows, she checked her wrists, but nothing seemed wrong, which confused her even more. Then, getting an idea, she rolled onto her back and looked down at her legs, and saw the blue tongue of Saji's Sacred Gear tied around her left ankle.

"When did this...?" She muttered, only vaguely hearing a **boost** from behind her. After this announcement, Issei grinned.

"Hey, sword chick!" He yelled towards Ex with excitement in his tone.

"Hm?" Humming, Ex turned towards Issei, who was pointing his right hand at her with his index finger extended. A red orb was floating in front of him, causing Ex to tilt her head in curiosity towards what it was.

"I'm not exactly the best at controlling this attack, so hope it doesn't kill you!" Pulling his left arm back, Issei punched the orb, and immediately upon doing so, the orb exploded forward towards Ex, and as it did so, it transformed into a red beam which viciously travelled through the air towards the blonde-haired girl, whose eyes widened in surprise at seeing the attack. " **Dragon Shot**!" Shouting out the name of his strongest attack, Issei grinned in victory.

No longer smiling, Ex calmly stood up, eyes closed, facing the attack. Thinking she had given up, Saji didn't bother trying to trip her as he moved out of the way of the attack with a smug smile on his face.

Opening her eyes, revealing them to be shining gold with flecks of white dancing among them, Ex held up her right hand, which glowed the same. With her palm facing the beam, Ex slowly opened her mouth and muttered.

" **Birthed Blade**." At these words, her body was covered in a white aura as a light blue mist spread itself around her ankles. As the beam inched closer and closer, swords rose up out of the ground in front of her, blocking her body from view in all directions, much like a dome - a dome of swords. Blades emerged from blades, swords sprang up between swords and steel protected steel.

The red beam met the created blades' steel and exploded immediately, causing the blades to crack and crumble apart instantly, however, as a byproduct of this attack, smoke covered the area, obscuring Ex from further view. The sound of shards of steel was heard amidst the silence as they fell apart, hitting the ground.

As the smoke slowly cleared away, it was revealed; the pristine form of Ex, completely unaffected by the blast.

"Amazing." She muttered, looking down at her broken shield made of blades. "That was, simply put, amazing!" Looking up at Issei with sparkling eyes, a smile on her face, Issei could only take a step back in fright. "Now then, let me show you - all of you - something of mine!" Jumping up into the air as she finished this, Ex landed in a spot where everyone could be seen by her with a single glance. Starting towards her left was Issei, Yuuto, Xenovia, Koneko, Irina, and Saji. Though devastated by his attack failing and his support, ultimately proving useless, Issei and Saji still stood their ground, with Saji pointing his arm towards Ex, aiming, and Issei preparing his Boosts once again. Xenovia, Irina, and Yuuto hefted up their own weapons, and Koneko, though her right arm was still bleeding really badly and was very nearly unusable, was not out of the fight just yet.

At seeing them standing their ground, Ex smiled. ' _ **Instant** **Step**_.' Thinking this, she leaned forward, with the four Devils and two humans focusing on her. To them, it looked harmless. Nothing was wrong. She was merely getting ready to move. However, in reality, things were far different. The seconds ticked on by, as they watched her stay in the same spot as if she was merely watching their movements like a hawk before moving, but they did not let down their guard. They were completely concentrated on her. That was what led to their first and last folly.

Yuuto's eyes widened as the form of Ex appeared in front of him, completely out of nowhere, as if she had teleported to that spot. Speed was a nonfactor.

"Agh!" Screaming out in pain, Yuuto fell back from the pain and surprise. Ex had somehow appeared before him, with the sword she had dropped earlier in hand, and a river of blood blooming out from Yuuto's chest. Coughing up blood, he thought to himself with his eyes wide in shock. ' _How did I miss her approaching me? How did I not see her pick up her sword? She was right there... how?_ '

However much as he tried to come up with an answer, none appeared. The reason being was that the question he was trying to ask, was impossible without the knowledge necessary to do so.

And Ex did not plan on spilling her secret any time soon.

Turning towards her, the other Devils and two exorcists were surprised. They had not seen her approach, it was as if she had teleported instead. But, that begged the question. ' _How did she grab her sword?_ ' Were the collective thoughts of those gathered. But that question did not need to be answered; Ex was right there.

Xenovia, being the closest, raised Excalibur Destruction and jumped. Ex glanced at her from the corner of her eye but mostly ignored her, instead, focusing on Irina's Excalibur Mimic which had extended itself towards her.

Tapping her right foot against the ground, a column of blades slid out of the ground in the path of Irina's whip-like sword, successfully blocking the strike. Yuuto, gripping his sword with strength, shot towards the blonde-haired girl as Issei charged at her from her other side. From above, Xenovia was closing in, slamming her Excalibur fragment down towards her.

Three attacks, one to her left, one in front, and one above.

With a clear mind and smile on her face, Ex's eyes brightened, though this time, it was not of gold but of pure white.

Twisting around midstep, Ex narrowly dodged the slash of Yuuto's sword and the downward strike of Xenovia's. Then, reaching forward with her eyes closed, Ex grabbed the left wrist of Xenovia and pulled her back, before roughly throwing her into Issei. Bending down, Ex ducked underneath Irina's slash, and, with a spin in step, Ex kicked up, nailing Irina in the gut. Pulling her leg back, she hopped in place and swung her other leg into Irina, hitting her in the side. The blow cracked a few of her ribs and caused her to cough up blood, while at the same time, causing her vision to cloud up. The brunette was thrown back hard, blasting her through the air and into the ground with such impact that she was thrown back up into the air, and at the same time, breaking her right arm. When she landed against the ground again, this time coming to a stop, she was motionless.

At the same time that Irina came to a stop, Yuuto slashed again at Ex, however, the blonde-haired girl lifted up her left foot and caught the blade with her sandal, causing Yuuto to become surprised, forcing him to let down his guard for just a split second. That was all she needed.

Before the Knight could respond, Ex twisted towards her left with her right foot and tilted her left slightly, letting Yuuto's blade slide right off it. The moment the blade no longer touched her sandal, she kicked down into the back of the sword, cracking and breaking through it easily. Before Yuuto could even attempt to regain control of the situation, Ex's right foot suddenly sprung back up, kicking the top of the broken blade and rebounding it into Yuuto's waist on his left. Hopping, Ex then kicked the fragment of Yuuto's Holy Eraser with her left foot and sent it piercing through his body. Creating an ethereal sword in her free hand, she threw the blade into his right leg, causing him to fall down to his left hand and right knee. Upon landing back onto the ground, Ex spun around herself on a single foot and kicked Yuuto in the side of the head, sending him flying through the air and sprawling down onto the ground moments later.

Ex stood back up tall and breathed out a breath, before sucking one back in.

Moving her left hand behind her, with the palm facing away, she blocked a punch delivered from Koneko. Before the smaller girl could retract said fist, Ex closed her fingers around the small balled up hand. Pulling her forward, Ex led Koneko past herself and to her front. Raising her arm, she lifted the white-haired girl up off of the ground. Spinning her blade around so she was holding it in a reverse grip, she jabbed Koneko's back with the pommel, causing her to cry out in pain. Letting go of her hand, Ex slashed upward towards her left, easily splitting through Koneko's back, drawing out blood. The smaller girl collapsed upon landing on the ground, conscious, but unable to properly move due to the pain she was in.

Taking a single step back, Ex dodged Saji's line, but this time, she raised her blade and cut the line in two. Turning towards the blonde-haired Sitri Pawn, causing him to take a step back in fear, Ex created an ethereal blade and hurled it towards him, while at the same time, tapping her left foot against the ground.

Saji, fortunately, ducked underneath the blade and had effectively dodged the attack. However, he did not account for a second blade springing out of the ground behind him, causing the thrown sword to bounce off of it and pierce accurately into his left shoulder.

"Agh!" Crying out in pain, Saji fell to the ground, holding his left shoulder with his other hand with his teeth clasped together. Ex looked away from him and back towards Issei and Xenovia who were having a rapid discussion.

Finishing their talk quickly, they focused their attention back on Ex. Tapping Xenovia's shoulder, Issei transferred his built up power into her. With renewed strength flowing through her body, Xenovia rushed forward, wildly swinging her sword towards the blonde. Raising her sword, though still in a reverse grip, Ex was forced back a few steps from the sheer power of Xenovia's attack. Drawing her blade back, Xenovia struck downward. Pulling her katana back, Ex lunged towards Xenovia. Just as the opposing girl's blade was above her own, Ex spun her sword around and, using the flat of her sword, pushed Xenovia's sword to the side, causing her to miss her mark. Then, with a lunge, Ex grabbed Xenovia's right wrist and pulled down, making her unable to even lift her sword. Turning her sword around, back into a reverse grip, Ex lightly cut through Xenovia's upper body and through her collarbone.

However, not letting go, the blonde jumped and pressed both feet into the mostly blue-haired girl's stomach and pushed at the same time as she let go, shooting her through the air and into the ground, where she did not get up.

Issei attempted to touch Ex from behind as she landed, but the blonde-haired girl responded incredibly quickly, as she spun around towards her left and struck Issei in the side of his head with a well-timed kick with the back of her left foot, knocking him out instantly.

At the same time as this, Koneko gasped out in surprise and realization, though this action caused her to cough out blood in pain.

' _Senjutsu!_ ' she thought to herself. ' _That's how she was able to react to each and every attack, with her eyes' closed even! She's using Senjutsu to create a mist around her... Though I'm barely even able to see it due to my little practice in it, the others most likely can't see it at all._ '

Though finishing this train of thought, Koneko quickly realized that even if she told the others about it, they wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Only a Senjutsu practitioner would be able to see this mist and judge its distance, and as they were not practitioners, then they wouldn't be able to do anything with this information. It would only distract them and add further stress to the fight.

However, the battle looked to be over. Only Saji remained standing, and he was relatively useless - at least to Koneko, he was.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Ex opened her eyes. Koneko quickly noticed the mist clearing up around her, meaning she had stopped using whatever technique she had been using.

However, at the same moment that the mist had completely dissipated, with a flash, a bolt of lightning struck Ex's back, causing her to be blasted forward due to the impact.

"Fufufu. You should really watch your back, or else a stray lightning bolt might meet its mark." Giggling with a hand raised and electricity crackling around it, the look in Akeno's eyes was not one of amusement.

"To injure my adorable peerage members to such a degree... When I'm through with you, you'll wish you had never thought of hurting them." Rias declared, pointing a finger towards the downed Ex.

"Just try and take it easy, Rias. We're not brutes, after all." Sona smirked, adjusting the position of her glasses.

"I'm sure she will be delicate, Kaichou," Tsubaki replied, doing the same.

Ex slowly stood back up. Turning around, she looked up at the four flying Devils, a confused smile on her face.

"I don't know what's happening, but! Regardless of that, the four of you look up to a fight! J-just get down here and we can start!" Swinging her sword up and down like an excited child towards a toy, the look on Ex's face was one of worry.

She could not fly.

After all, human beings could not sprout wings and fly.

 **†**  
 **Rias Gremory**

It was unacceptable.

Completely unacceptable, for such a display to appear before my eyes. It took all my willpower to not attack the moment we had arrived, just so we could try and figure out the capabilities of the girl that Akeno and Tsubaki described as being a "monster".

With my adorable servants in such a bad state, grabbing Asia was the right call. With her standing nearby, hidden, as long as we distract this girl, then Asia can heal everyone - even the two exorcists that had fought at the side of most of my peerage and Sona's Pawn.

When Sona gave the word to attack, I had Akeno open up the fight with a bolt of lightning, courtesy of her Demonic power. We did not expect for the attack to land, in all truthfulness, but to see first hand that she was okay...

It certainly was disconcerting. However, as powerful as she may be, she is not immortal. She is not a Phenex. If my Power of Destruction would land a blow on her, then perhaps...

With those thoughts, we announced ourselves as the girl laid on the ground, be it in pain or not, we did not know.

Saying such confident words, we waited for her response and-

"I don't know what's happening, but! Regardless of that, the four of you look up to a fight! J-just get down here and we can start!" Her words were unusual. It was as if she didn't think we should've been able to fly. Didn't she know what Devils were and what they're capable of?

With the aura she's giving off, she had to be some sort of Angel, or perhaps even a hybrid. However, her words suggested ignorance of the supernatural. It was strange, incredibly so. But regardless of what she is or who she is, she will pay for hurting my family!

' _Even if it costs me an arm and a leg, or even my own life, I will not stop until she is destroyed!_ '

 **†**  
 **Ex**

Looking up at the four somehow flying girls, I had a strange thought. ' _What if I could create wings with blades? That would be so cool! Though, would I even be able to fly?_ '

I did not know how they could fly, why they had wings, or how a bolt of lightning had struck me on the back, but even then, I would not be outdone! Thus, I shouted for them to come down so we could fight.

Their response came from the crimson-haired girl, who shot a ball of black and red at me.

As the basketball-sized bullet moved towards me, I had a strange feeling in my gut. Hefting my sword up, I aimed to split the strange attack in two, but this sudden feeling caused me to freeze. As the ball inched closer to me, I felt my feet sidestep the attack.

I watched the bullet move past me and hit the ground a couple of meters behind me - destroying it completely, leaving behind only that of a smoking crater.

"W-whoa!" I muttered with surprise lit up in my eyes. That was definitely not something I want to hit me. It looked too dangerous, somehow.

Turning back to the four, I instantly had to bring up my katana due to the girl with the long black hair attacking me with a naginata. Swinging down with her much longer weapon, I hurried to bring up my own weapon and blocked horizontally. The force of the blow wasn't that spectacular; strength was definitely not her strong suit. But it was definitely enough to put a little amount of pressure on me. Added on to that, was the speed she had going towards me and gravity which helped push her attack down on me.

However, that mattered little to me. Narrowing my eyes, my grin growing on my face, I turned my upper body slightly towards my left and took a step back with my left foot, while at the same time, twisting my body to the side to allow her naginata to slide off of my blade and leaned my upper body back to further avoid the blade.

It was one of my standard responses to situations like this. Our blades would meet, and my opponent would try to overpower me. I would then let their blade slide down mine and attack when they lost balance.

However, my current opponent was flying, so I couldn't rely on her losing balance.

But I didn't expect her to be completely unfazed by this. Not even going forward slightly, the girl before me twisted around midair and slashed upwards at me with her naginata with her body parallel to the ground, forcing me to lean even further back and almost falling down. Even then, the front of my kimono was cut, though the blade just barely missed my flesh.

Taking a step back, I hurriedly corrected my posture, but the long-haired girl did not allow me time to completely recover as she jabbed her naginata towards me. Leaning my head to the left, I dodged the jab. With my left hand, I reached up and grabbed the weapon, just before the blade. Pulling towards me, I forced the girl closer towards me, however, letting go of her naginata, she retreated back via flying, leaving me with her own weapon.

Shrugging, I tossed the weapon up with a spin and caught it so that its blade was facing her.

"I'll let you have this back!" Shouting this with glee in my tone, I tossed the weapon towards her like it was a javelin, though with a slight spin to it.

" **[Mirror Alice]**!" Shouting this out, a mirror appeared before her body, which blocked the naginata from piercing her body. The mirror cracked immediately upon being hit and a moment later, the entire thing broke apart, with the naginata somehow turning around and being launched back at me with a light blue aura surrounding it.

Surprised at this, I jumped to the side with a counter-clockwise spin, dodging the attack. The naginata hit the ground with an explosion, causing dirt and dust to be launched all over the place, which obscured my vision a bit.

Coming out of the cloud of dirt and dust, was water.

"Water?" I questioned with a murmur, however, raising my sword, I cleanly sliced through it. The pillar of water was split evenly through the middle, however, getting an odd feeling in the back of my head, I turned my head to look behind me, and observed the cut water forming a serpent behind me - two of them in fact.

The one on the left opened its maw and sped off towards me, turning in odd patterns as it moved closer to me as if it was a snake slithering on the ground. The one on the right circled around me, before disappearing into the cloud of dust.

Facing the one approaching me, I jumped over its head as it tried to bite me. At the same time as this, the one which had hidden blasted out of the cloud of dust and flew straight towards me, its maw opened. Turning in the air, I barely dodged the bite, though my right shoulder was hit by its lower jaw, causing me to be launched down towards the ground. Seeing this opportunity, the other water serpent spun around towards me and opened its jaw, swallowing me whole.

With no way to breathe within the serpent, as it was made out of the water, if I stayed like this, I would surely drown. While it would not outright kill me, I would be incapacitated. This could not do.

Moving my sword, I cut my way out of its body by splitting the creature into two. However, seeing the light of outside caused me to gasp out in surprise as the other serpent was facing me and charging. With barely any time to react to the attack, I only raised my sword and channelled my strength into it. The serpent crashed into the one which had eaten me and ate me from its friend's own body, even going as far as blasting out of the other side.

However, raising my sword, letting a golden light shine around it, I slashed downward, splitting the serpent apart. With a second horizontal swing, the two serpents fell apart, turning back into regular water which rained down onto the ground. Landing on the ground, I began to cough out the water that was in my lungs. As I did so, I looked around where I had landed, and quickly noticed that the water falling towards the ground had oddly stopped.

Before I could figure out why, the water, be it on the ground or still in the air, circled around me and surrounded me within an orb of water. I moved my sword to cut it apart, but the water grabbed ahold of my limb and held it in place, causing me to be unable to cut my way through the orb of water. The same phenomenon happened all over my body; tendrils of water grabbed ahold of my body, be it my arms, legs, chest and back, or my neck and head.

Feeling pain in my chest, I realized that I needed oxygen. Tensing my body, I prepared to force my way out, when the sound of crackling met my ears. A moment later, lightning struck the orb of water and shocked me. Opening my mouth from the sudden shock, water began to enter my mouth and from there, my lungs.

My vision growing dark, my body aching from the electricity coursing through my body, the pressure of the orb of water, and my lack of oxygen, I gritted my teeth from slight frustration.

' _Whatever type of fighting this is, isn't fair! How can they control water and lightning anyway? The heck's up with that? Just attack me yourself, jeez! Oh well. If they want to do this; then I'll show them my own skill!_ '

With a strained smile on my face, I closed my eyes.

 **†**  
 **X**

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Sona Sitri turned towards Akeno with a grateful nod. "I'm glad that we're able to work so efficiently together, but..."

"Yes, I do not think that was enough to defeat her." Akeno finished with a forced smile on her face, though a shadow soon covered her eyes. "I'll definitely enjoy breaking this one, ufufu."

"Sona," Rias started, turning towards the short black-haired girl. "I have a plan, but I want your word that you'll trust me. Okay?"

"...Very well. There isn't much we can do other that pelting her with attacks from a distance, so whatever you can offer, will only be positive towards our own victory."

Rias, nodding, began to explain the details of her plan. Sona listened carefully, with an analytical glint in her eye and nodded casually after Rias had finished.

"...If this happens as I envision it, we may be able to pull off the win."

"I agree. This is definitely worth a shot - Saji! Did you hear?" Shouting this down to her Pawn, the look on Sona's face was one of slight anger due to the Pawn disobeying her earlier orders. "Get Hyoudou Issei caught up and ready."

"Y-yes, Kaichou!" Saluting with a straight posture, Saji had a look of fright and terror on his face, as if he was just now realizing what he had just done. He quickly hurried on his task to wake up the downed Red Dragon Emperor.

"Tsubaki, get ready. We'll be relying on you for this to work."

"Yes, Kaichou!"

"Akeno, quickly go and prepare your biggest attack. I don't know how long we'll be able to keep her distracted."

"Yes, Buchou~!"

With those words, Akeno rose up into the air, and Tsubaki turned towards the orb of water which held Ex captive. After a few moments, the orb of water exploded outward as Ex broke free from her watery restraints with a flex of her body.

"What strength..." Rias murmured underneath her breath, though Sona was able to catch her words.

"It's not like we expected her to be stuck there until she suffocated. If anything, she merely escaped much later than we had predicted."

Turning towards the two flying Devils, Ex's smile widened. With a low golden aura covering her body, though this quickly dissipated, she walked towards the two as she looked up at them. Her eyes went from Rias to Sona, before looking around for the other two, a frown on her face. Then, getting a feeling in the pit of her stomach, she jumped up into a backflip and over the lunge of Tsubaki who had charged at her from behind.

Though surprised at this, Tsubaki did not let Ex's dodge deter her from her duty. Spinning around with a flap of her wings, Tsubaki swung her naginata downwards toward Ex, who stepped back from the swing, allowing it to nearly graze her haori. Raising her naginata towards her left, Tsubaki slashed at Ex, who ducked underneath the blade, quickly followed up by a cartwheel backwards as Tsubaki swung back towards her.

Getting irritated by her dodging, Tsubaki pulled her naginata back and thrust forward, however, seeing this as an opportunity, Ex moved just out of the way of the thrust and stepped in close to Tsubaki and as she did so, she slammed an elbow into Tsubaki's gut, causing her to double over. Not finished yet, Ex thrust upwards with the same elbow, pelting the long black-haired girl in the chin and knocking her back. Before she could escape Ex's reach, the blonde-haired girl jumped, spinning around, before bringing down the back of her heel into Tsubaki's chest, launching her down into the ground as she spat out blood.

Rolling to the side, Tsubaki narrowly dodged the tip of Ex's sword as it pierced through the ground where her shoulder was.

Using her hand to flip her back up to her feet, Tsubaki faced Ex - who had decided to go on the offensive. Rushing towards the Devil, Ex pulled her blade back, just as Tsubaki created her mirror using her Sacred Gear.

Swinging her blade downwards to her left, Ex cut through part of the mirror, cracking it substantially. Then, bringing it back up smoothly, Ex shattered the mirror. However, a white aura collected in front of Tsubaki immediately afterwards and blasted into Ex before she could react, throwing her back and leaving a large gash on her chest in the shape of a sword slash.

Ex landed on her feet, though the force caused her to slide back a few meters. Spitting out blood, Ex looked at Tsubaki, before looking at her own sword.

"What is she...?" Tsubaki questioned underneath her breath, as Ex looked to be listening to something and nodding along. Then, smiling widely, Ex looked back up at Tsubaki, causing the aforementioned girl to blink in confusion.

"I see. So your mirror thingy takes the attacks of your enemies, and when it shatters, releases said attacks back - with double the strength! An interesting concept, but! Don't think it will work on me after this!" Declaring this, Ex pointed her katana at Tsubaki, who huffed in annoyance.

Adjusting her glasses, her eyes were covered by a strange light. "Don't be so sure about that. As long as I can use [ **Mirror Alice** ], it will be difficult for you to defeat me."

"Oh? Is that a challenge?" Grinning Ex casually walked backwards. "By my calculations, it will take you two more minutes to be able to use your mirror after it shatters. Correct?"

Tsubaki immediately frowned, narrowing her eyes at Ex with a hard expression on her face. ' _How did she figure out the time span I have to wait when it shatters when I've only used it twice so far? That's ridiculous... Unless..._ ' Tsubaki's gaze moved down to Ex's katana. To Tsubaki, it had looked like Ex was listening to the sword just moments ago, but that didn't quite make sense. After all, swords were not capable of thought or speech.

' _Either way, I need to buy more time, so if she allows me to take the remaining minutes to be able to use my Sacred Gear again, then...!_ ' Tsubaki straightened her posture as she calmed down. Breathing out the remainder of her breath, she analyzed the information she had at the moment. With the plan that Rias Gremory had come up with, Tsubaki knew how to act. All she had to do, was to buy time. It was simple, yet there was the fear that she would be taken out immediately. But if she were to be able to buy time for even three minutes, the plan's success rate would go through the roof. "Very well then. If you give me a small amount of time, then I will be able to use my Sacred Gear again. Then, you can test whether or not you can defeat me through it."

Though Ex looked confused at the term Sacred Gear, she immediately agreed with her plan. As the seconds ticked on by, Tsubaki's ability to use her Sacred Gear returned. However, she did not immediately pull it out. She could simply say she was not counting the time and that she didn't notice-

"Hey, it looks like you can use it again, so hurry up and pull it out!" By this point, Ex had stopped backing away and was eagerly awaiting the reveal of Tsubaki's Sacred Gear. Grounding her teeth together slightly, Tsubaki slowly answered, in other to buy more time.

"...Very well. Then, I shall now use it. [ **Mirror Alice** ]!" With her shout, the familiar mirror of her Sacred Gear appeared. ' _Now, how will you combat this...?_ ' With that thought, Tsubaki waited for whatever attack Ex would launch towards her. ' _Given her distance from me, she must have some sort of long-range attack. What will it be...? Either way, it will not be able to get by my defences._ _[_ _ **Mirror Alice** ] is not that weak._' With this confidence filling her very being, Tsubaki, very slightly, let down her guard. Because of this, she was not able to properly react to what had happened.

Lowering her body close to the ground and placing the tips of her left hand's fingers against the ground, Ex concentrated upon a single point on the shield - a few inches below the centre of the shield. With her body tensed up, Ex slid the back of her right foot against the ground and raised it slightly so that only the front of her foot was touching it, while the back was raised into the air. Positioning her katana so that it was pointing towards Tsubaki, with its edge nearly touching the ground, though the pommel raised into the air, Ex breathed out a low breath. Then, swallowing some spit, Ex disappeared, leaving behind a crater in her wake, with a sound as if a small explosion had taken place.

All witnessing this action blinked in confusion at seeing Ex abruptly disappear. Then, realization struck as the sound of shattering was heard.

Turning towards where Tsubaki was, Rias, Sona, and Akeno gasped.

Stopped in front of her, with her sword puncturing easily through her stomach, was Ex. Tsubaki, coughing out blood, couldn't even react to getting ran through with Ex's blade, even as her mirror fell apart before her.

There was no reflection of attack.

Ex had destroyed the mirror completely; reflection and all.

"H-how...!?" Tsubaki gasped out, with blood sliding down her lips and onto her chin.

"It took two regular strikes to break your mirror," Ex answered after a moments pause with a solemn tone. "With more of my full strength put into it and with this type of attack; there was no hope for you."

"Ty-type of... attack?" Coughing out blood, Tsubaki questioned Ex, even as her vision started to darken. Ex, meanwhile, closed her eyes before replying.

"Simultaneous attacks." She answered simply. "Three strikes, in one place, at the same time. That is what it was - the technique which I call **Triple Thrust Blade**." Her words were matter-of-factly. Her honesty was absurd; much like the technique that she had performed, something that which bent the laws of physics with its pure skill. It was impossible to exist in three different areas at the same time, without the use of magic. However, the technique Ex has used possessed not even a small amount of magic power. It was simply raw, physical power and skill. But, the technique Ex had utilized, did not exist at the same time on separate planes of existence; it was all on the same plane of existence at the same moment. In other words, she struck the same space, three different times, at the same exact moment.

Three strikes.

The first broke through the mirror. The second punctured through the counterattack, the reflection of Ex's own attack. And the third pierced Tsubaki's stomach. The first blow was just enough to destroy the mirror. The second was double the power of her first, so as to completely block the reflection of Ex's own attack. And the third finished it.

It would be what one would call an "ultimate attack". Something that could not be stopped, no matter what one tries.

Ex slowly slid the blade out from Tsubaki's body, and as she did so, the long-haired girl fell down to her knees, hands grasping the wound as if by doing so, she could stop the bleeding.

Then, falling over, Tsubaki laid still.

Ex turned around and looked back over towards Rias and Sona with a small smile on her face. Meeting the angry gazes of the two, Ex shook her head. "She's still alive. Though only if you get her treatment quickly. If not, she will definitely die."

At her words, Sona nearly charged in with a blind fury. The usually calculating and calm girl was furious. However, Rias held back Sona by grabbing her wrist, keeping her from charging in. Turning towards the crimson-haired girl, Sona nearly yelled at her. But at Rias' look, Sona managed to stop herself. Breathing out and in several times, Sitri managed to slowly calm herself down.

After a few moments, she looked Rias in the eye, a shadow of a smile on her face. "Thank you." She muttered towards her, to which, Rias responded with a nod.

Turning around back to Ex, Sona stared with a determined expression.

"After everything you have done, I can't say I won't enjoy what comes next," Sona spoke in a monotone. Ex replied with a tilt of her head in confusion. Sona, deciding to supply her with the answer, pointed upwards with her right index finger, to which Ex followed immediately.

Seeing Akeno in the air, with several magic circles in the air and electricity spinning around her, Ex's body shivered. Not really knowing how she missed something like this, Ex could only stare up at the cloud of lightning forming in the air, unable to really do anything, considering she could not fly up there. Perhaps she could jump and cover that distance - but at that moment, she had forgotten that she could do so.

However, as the shiver ran down her body, Ex looked down at her sword suddenly, as if she had heard something. Confusion was etched onto her face, but it quickly morphed into determination and confidence, mixed in with her usual joy.

With a grin spreading across her face, Ex resolved to take the attack as she looked back up at it, spreading her legs out to the side and lifting her katana forward, with the point facing Akeno in the air.

Though this action was worrying towards the three Devils, Akeno did not move to disengage; instead, she put in more magic power. As much as she could, to the point that she even felt slight pain.

Holy Lightning; the combination of light and thunder. Something she possessed because of her father is that of a Fallen Angel. Poisonous and deadly towards Devils, it was something she would not utilize at this level in a rating game or in a friendly sparring match due to the possibility of killing who it is used on. However, against the girl on the ground who had hurt her fellow adorable peerage members? She would pay with it a thousand times over, and Akeno will enjoy every last moment of it. Licking her lips, the black-haired girl lifted her hands upwards, manipulating the lightning to dance around her fingertips and spread out, much like a peacock's feathers.

With a sinister look in her eyes, Akeno directed her fingertips down towards Ex and shouted with all of her strength. With that, the bolt of lightning fired forth, ripping through the air with such force that the Devils assembled shivered at the feeling.

As Ex was distracted, focused more so on fighting Tsubaki and the attacks of Sona, Issei had boosted Akeno's power in the air and fled before Ex was made aware of the doom above her. Because of this, Akeno's Holy Lightning was even more potent, to the point that she could even take on an Ultimate-class Devil - or it gave that feeling, at the very least.

As the lightning danced downwards, covering the ground in a golden light, Ex remained still, her sword still pointed forward. No sign of distress on her face.

Akeno almost felt offended by this - but she remembered what Ex had done only moments before. When she had struck down Tsubaki.

If her words were true, the fellow Queen was still alive. However, if Asia could not heal her in time, she may even end up dead. But what was most important right now to the Queen of Gremory - was defeating the enemy before her.

As the lightning approached with deadly accuracy, Ex moved her right foot back against the ground, causing dirt to spray up into the air, and she swung her katana forward and slashed at the lightning.

Just as the bolt reached her, her katana cut through it - but it did not overpower it.

As the blade touched the Holy Lightning, it had been stalled and the lightning spilt forth over the blade and that of Ex. Akeno expected the girl to scream, splitting the air with the sound of her own pain. However, there was only the sound of electricity in the air and the ground splitting apart due to the force of the blade against the thunder. Peering through the lightning, Akeno could see Ex's skin festering around her hands and face, cuts splitting across her skin in the shape of zig-zags, and burns appearing over her right side. Her clothes caught aflame and burned away, her hair became charcoal black, and her skin burned thoroughly.

However, Ex did not fall. Instead, the Holy Lightning that Akeno had launched down towards her had dimmed in its light.

As if it was weakening.

As if it was being taken in by the blade, or Ex herself - as if she was absorbing it.

As if an eternity had passed - in reality only around half a minute had - the Holy Lightning Akeno had worked so hard to create: was gone.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Ex straightened her posture, though she put her head down with her eyes closed. Her burns disappeared, the cuts vanished, and her clothes reformed. She was not damaged in the least bit.

Looking up at the raven-haired girl, Ex could only smile. After all, something like that - a bolt of lightning being launched down at her - was something so unexpected and exciting, how could it not reduce the girl into a happy mess?

Smiling in joy, Ex looked over at those still standing - or rather flying.

The crimson-haired girl. The short black-haired girl. The long black-haired girl who had fired the bolt of lightning. Then, she looked down at her katana and gleamed in delight.

"Evolution," Ex's sudden word surprised the Devils, but only for a moment. Holding up her left hand, Ex stared at her palm before tightening it into a fist. A small white light could vaguely be seen escaping from her clutches and a golden aura washed over her form for just a moment before vanishing, as if it had never existed, to begin with. Closing her eyes, she continued. "By experiencing new things and growing, you can look back at yourself and realize your faults. By growing stronger and stronger, you can reduce your faults too, but only to a select few, but you cannot rid yourself of weakness. Which is why - I pride myself on things like this."

Her words momentarily confused the three listening, before the sound of chirping filled the air. But it was not the chirping that a bird would make.

It was the chirping of lightning.

"Looking back at it, I never knew why I possessed this blade in the first place. I do not know when I had first held it. Or when I had first practised with it. Or when I had first duelled with it. I only know - what I know. Which is why it's exciting."

Coursing down her blade, from the tip to the crossguard, was the same kind of lightning Akeno had tossed down at her. The golden thunder which is known as Holy Lightning. Poisonous and deadly to Devils. It is the combination of light and thunder. At the level Akeno used earlier, thanks to the boosted power from Issei, who was currently watching while hiding away due to the orders of Rias alongside Saji, she felt as if she was at the level of an Ultimate-class Devil. However, in the possession of Ex - it might as well be something even greater. Perhaps even at the level of a Super Devil.

"To learn things. To experience things. To gain new capabilities. I do not know why I possess power; however, there were only two things that filled my heart that I yearned for. To be the strongest and to experience joy for all time. Selfish goals, but, did you know?" At this, Ex's grin widened and she looked back up, making sure to look at all three Devils flying in the sky. Her gaze even extended to the hiding Issei and Saji, and even towards where Asia was hiding behind a tree. "That to be the strongest, you must never lose - not even once."

At her words, the lightning covering her blade shined brightly, to the point that it pained the Devils immensely. Just from the sheer light of it, the Devils gathered felt as if the sun was right in front of them. Only now, do they realize the true power of the beast that stands in front of them

With the feeling as if they were being embraced by death itself. As if its boney limbs were holding onto them, a golden skull staring them down with shining white flames blazing in its eye sockets. Crimson red blood dripping down its jaw and hands and onto themselves. However, even then, it was as if life was being breathed into them as if a miracle was occurring within their own beings.

But that only caused them to become more afraid, to freeze up.

They could not move, nor could they breathe.

Then Ex raised her blade in a slow, but swift motion, and a blast of lightning, which eclipses that of Akeno's earlier strike, was brought forth upon the sky with a flash of light blinding all that could see it for just a split second.

Flowing upwards, much like the water in a calm stream, the bolt of lightning was hardly noticeable, which contrasted with its great and large form and the light that it produced. The aforementioned light felt warm against the skin of the Devils, and unlike when the lightning was still attached to the blade, it didn't hurt them at all. Instead, it flowed through them through this warmth, easing their pains.

However, as the lightning was halfway to Akeno, the Devils' senses returned.

Producing a shield in front of herself with what little remained of her magic power and demonic power, Akeno decided that her best course of action was to just try and take the attack. Even as hopeless as it felt, Akeno did not want to lose against this beast, this monster. Though Rias felt like rushing over and helping her, same as Sona and the hiding Devils, they found their bodies unresponsive and still, so they could only stare at the approaching doom moving ever so closer to Akeno with shock and pain in their eyes, only eclipsed by their blind fury.

As the light approached, Akeno shut her eyes upon the impending doom. However, even moments later, nothing happened. Opening her eyes, she saw that the lightning had stopped in front of her... and appeared to be gathering in place.

However, it quickly lowered in intensity and disappeared.

' _Did the attack fail!?_ ' Akeno wildly thought to herself, eyes wide and unfocused. At that moment, all was still. There was no sound. None at all. No chirping of lightning. No laughter of joy, nor any condescending remarks. Everything was peaceful.

All Akeno could feel, was the sound of her heart beating within her ribcage.

' _Beat_ , _beat, beat, beat._ '

It went on and on. At a fast and frenzy pace, though gradually slowing.

Then it was ruined with the frenzied shouting of Rias, Akeno's King and friend.

"Above you Akeno!"

With those words, Akeno forced her body around and stared up.

Up at the blinding light of the lightning that was dragged out from Ex's katana. It was frozen there; as if it was trapped in time. However, if Akeno focused, she could see small traces of electricity spread itself out from the condensed ball of light. It was Heaven, and yet it was Hell.

And then the ball dropped down into a line, a line that split and curved, much like the roots of a tree. At first, it kept a thin line, with these roots spreading out as it descended upon herself. But then the line exploded outward, into more like the length of a tree, no, greater than that. Shaking around and spinning around, this bolt raced down towards her at a speed that could even be called slow - and yet, it was alluring. As if, she couldn't take her eyes off of the sight, no matter how much she wanted to move and twist her body away. Even the shoutings of Rias, Sona, and even Issei were drowned out by the chirping of this lightning.

And then, she felt the warmth of oblivion and Heaven combined into one sensation and feeling, something she never expected she would ever feel, not even in her entire life.

* * *

 **Annnnnd cliffhanger.**

 **Oops. Was not expecting that, eh?**

 **Wonder what's up with that lightning... how could she possibly do this... find out some other time when I decide to explain things.**

 **Anyway, sorry for the hiatus, that was definitely not planned... yes, it was not. This chapter is actually the longest I have written so far, with it having more than 13k words, not involving this bottom portion... I feel pride, but slight disgust at myself.**

 **Anyway, let's move on towards the reviews that have been sent in my time of absence. Also, I will be splitting the Kokabiel battle into two parts after much thinking, thus, this first volume will unexpectantly have eight chapters. Amazing, right?**

* * *

 **angus281299:** _Thank you, I will forever try and not disappoint, though if I'm leaning towards something you do not like or if you find an error in what I write, do try and tell me so that I may scrutinize my work more cautiously so as to not make the same mistake again!_

 **sonic (guest):** _Thank you!_

 **DarkDrawerJ:** _You are thanked!_

 **Axel Fones:** _Yeah, she really is. Freed, Kiba - then it just... becomes everyone in the peerages. Lol. As I said, this chapter had a bit of just dialogue and no fighting, but be rest assured! Next chapter is a no fighting chapter! Just talk and some development or whatever you younguns are into these days._

 **pyronicunicorn32:** _Yesss, the Swordship will sail! Unfortunately, he is not in the story, so it cannot truly sail... or is he? Nah, this isn't a crossover. I'd still like to see it though, lol._

 **amerdism:** _I already answered your review a few days ago, so... right now, actually, is when it goes up. And for everyone else, there will be more female OCs and male OCs, so get ready with the lub- I mean... Oh, and yes, Ex's appearance is based off of Okita Souji from Fate series if anyone else was wondering._


	6. Sword 6

**NOTICE ALERT!**

 _Hey guys, sorry for not updating in such a long time, I've been a bit busy with work, some other things, and simply, I've been doing a lot of thinking. As I did this, my thoughts eventually turned towards other stories that I could write and came up with a few that were interesting, among other things. And as such, sometime in the future, I will more than likely start writing a second story to write alongside this - I was thinking of doing a crossover of two series I particularly like, and there are two of these that I have to choose from, one of which does involve DxD._

 _However, I will most likely take a hard right veer from that one since I'm writing a DxD fic right now, and I don't really want to get the two mixed up by accident XD_

 _But anyway - go ahead and read this chapter, you deranged lunatics!_

* * *

"Excalibur!" – Saying out loud.  
' _Excalibur!_ ' – Thought. If put in a sentence with quotation marks it is stressed.  
[ **Boosted Gear** ] – Sacred Gear/Balance Breaker.  
" **Giga Drill Break!** "/' ** _Giga Drill Break!_** ' – Technique; will not be bolded if it is not being spoken/thought.  
{ **You're a Wizard Harry.** } – Ddraig/Albion/Beast/Other speaking.  
 **Pov:**  
 **X** = Third person.  
" **name** " **or ?** = First person.

 **Sword 6: Upon the Final Battle**

 **†**  
 **Sona Sitri**

Once the light had died down and we could see clearly with our own eyes what had happened, we could only hang our heads in defeat and sigh - however, the sense of desperation caused us to not do so. The desperation of checking if Rias Gremory's Queen, Himejima Akeno, was alright hung in the air like a thick miasma, nearly choking us to the point of being unable to breathe. We couldn't have done this if the girl who had done this was here - but by some miracle, she had decided to leave while the light was blinding us.

Laying on the ground, the front of her shrine maiden outfit was burnt away, and several burn marks scarred her skin, was Rias' Queen, unconscious and sprawled out on the dirt. However, with the Sacred Gear [ **Twilight Healing** ], even scars should be capable of being healed and removed, leaving her body unblemished. There was also the matter of my own Queen, Shinra Tsubaki, to take into account. She had been stabbed earlier through the stomach, so she needed medical attention - and fast, or she would not last for too long. I'll most likely transport her over to the Sitri territory to receive additional medical treatment, even after her healing here.

Even if Asia Argento was able to heal the two completely, there was still the matter of trauma to take into account as well. Who knows how much damage to their mental facilities the two had taken?

I could only hope they would be ready to fight in a few days time in case of a Fallen Angel and exorcist attack, or if that girl came back to finish the job, though I highly doubt she would do so. She had enjoyed the fight while it lasted and she delivered no blows that would kill quickly or immediately. Even the stab wound Tsubaki received, though it could be lethal, wasn't overly so. She could still be saved with plenty of time to spare, thankfully. A blessing in disguise, even if the source was one I was not particularly fond of.

As we came to a stop beside Rias' Queen, I decided to take a quick peek at my best friend's face. Slyly gazing over to my right, I noticed the angry snarl on Rias' face, but also the look of desperation, anxiousness, nervousness, worry, and pain.

The pain of her Queen being struck down. The pain of her peerage being hurt.

It was something that I felt too. A feeling as if a knife had been pressed into my chest, just barely scratching against my heart. A horrible feeling, truly. It was one I did not wish to feel again, however, I knew that I had no choice in the matter, not if I wanted to chain my peerage and lock them away so that no harm could ever befall them, but that was not something that I could ever possibly do. The guilt of taking away their own lives would gnaw at me from the inside out until I was hollow.

I swallowed, trying to remove this sense of guilt and regret as I gazed over towards Rias.

"...Rias." I spoke, my tone of voice was incredibly low. I didn't even know if the crimson-haired girl beside me had even heard me, as she didn't even glance over my way and she showed no sign of hearing. Frowning, I looked back down at Akeno. To compare the condition of our two Queens - it wouldn't add up. It was clear, while Tsubaki might have been stabbed through the gut, Akeno had taken more overall damage, spread throughout her whole body. Just by pushing some of the fabric away, would reveal the scarring wrapped around her arms and legs. Starting from her chest, just underneath her abnormally large breasts, the scarring spread itself out to nearly all corners of her body. Her once pristine skin was no more. However, if Asia could heal her, it would be as if this image that has been burned into our retinas would become a lie. Breathing in sharply, I turned around as I heard two pairs of footsteps coming closer.

It was Asia and Issei.

"G-guys, are you okay!?" Issei shouted, concern written all over his face.

"I'm c-coming!" Asia followed up right after with bated breath. It was clear she was out of breath from running over from where she had been hiding. Behind the two, Saji, who had a slightly flushed face, was jogging over with Shidou Irina and Xenovia Quarta on his shoulders and Kiba Yuuto being carried in his arms. How the Pawn had managed that, I would not know; however, it was admirable of him to help, nonetheless.

Sending him a nod, I looked over at Asia as she came to a stop next to us. Though sweat slipped down her face, she looked down at Akeno with a determination flaring up in her eyes. Falling down to her knees, Asia placed her hands against Akeno's wound and activated her Sacred Gear. A green light spread itself out from the ring that wrapped around Asia's middle fingers. The light felt warm, though unlike the warmth the blonde girl had exuding from her body. This warmth was more lukewarm, though full of kindness, while her's was dangerous, yet calm.

It was an odd controversy, but one I did not wish to examine.

Looking back down at Akeno, I nodded with a restrained smile. She would get better. Her scar was already fading away. However-

"I'm going to go bring Tsubaki over here." Saying this out loud so everyone could hear, I stood up.

"I-I'll go-go get her." Saji huffed out as he placed the three down onto the ground. With a strained smile, he stood back up. Though his legs shook from exhaustion, he hurried on to complete the task he had given to himself. I could say nothing to stop him, thus, I simply let him.

As Saji left to grab Tsubaki and bring her over, Issei also left to bring over Toujou Koneko, who, while conscious, could not move very well, most likely due to the large gash in her back. I felt like sighing at their actions, however, I found that I could not. Whatever anger I possessed over Saji disobeying my orders was gone; now, I was only worried about the condition of my Queen, that he was here to help fight back against that girl, and grateful that we would get out of it alive.

Looking over those wounded, I couldn't help but smile, though I knew that it could be taken poorly. We had made it out intact without any among us being killed or maimed permanently in any such way. How could I not be happy at such a development, even though it was one that I had foreseen? Even if it was brutal, even if it was something I'd rather avoid if I could do so, it truly was a miracle...

Looking down at my own feet, I wondered as to what my sister would do - then immediately shook my head. Whatever she would have done, would have been something incredibly stupid, irresponsible, or both. However, she definitely would've handled this entire development much more calmly than myself. She was strong. A Maou.

She, who was given the title of Leviathan, possessed such an extreme amount of power, that even though I had witnessed her power first-hand, I could not see that swordswoman defeating my sister.

However, a small tick gnawed at me from the inside, a certain fear which gripped my heart spread itself through my body at a slow crawl. The feeling as if this was not true, as if this girl who had not broken a sweat while fighting most of Rias' peerage and part of my own, who had gone and fought even us, would be able to defeat Serafall. I desperately tried to push this feeling down, but it did not relent. Instead, it increased in size and continued on, swelling with power as it tried to consume my being, sending me into a cold sweat-

"Sona!" Rias' voice called out to me as a hand slapped down onto my shoulder.

"W-what?" I stuttered oddly. Clamping a hand over my mouth, I swallowed, as if by doing so, I would rid myself of this nervousness welling up within me. Then, I finally looked over at Rias. "Did you need something?" Asking her this with a dull expression on my face, I held in a breath, waiting on her reply. I did not trust myself with breathing; I did not want to let her know that I was nervous. Maybe even... frightened.

"It's fine, Sona," Rias said calmly, a smile adorning her face. "We're fine. We're alive. We're in good health, and she is gone. As you said; she is not a true threat to us. She would not purposefully kill anyone. Right? So there's no need to worry! Really, it's okay."

At her words, I felt my heart beat lessen. My out-of-control heart slowly turned back to normal. I could breathe again without appearing to be strained. I could see clearly, I could hear just fine.

Smiling thinly, I nodded towards Rias, showing my appreciation. Her words were really what I needed. As a friend I had years ago, she truly understood me well, as she knew exactly what I was feeling and what to say to make me calm down.

However, just as that was all well and good, there was still a matter we had to talk about.

"Rias," I said in a low tone, glancing over towards the unconscious exorcists. Rias followed my gaze, before looking back at me as I continued. "With this development, we will have to renew our agreement with them. We cannot simply wait and watch them find the Excalibur fragments with someone like that running around in our territory - I believe, our best course of action is to actively assist them in their search and help them recover the swords."

Though it was something I was originally against, even going so far as to order my peerage to not get involved, with what has happened now, I was forced to change my mind. It would be better to stay in as large a group as possible so that we would not be as thinned out as we already were. With the threat of Fallen Angels, exorcists, and now this strange girl, there were too many factors to take into consideration.

If we were to look at this like one would a war - then we, as the representatives of the Devils, would be allied to the exorcists and are against the Fallen Angel and stray exorcists alliance. However, this girl that had shown up out of the blue, could be looked at as the third party; the wild card. The neutral factor that if one were to gain, would push the war into their favour.

It would be a wise move to gather our resources together and to recruit her into our war, however, I did not think this would be possible. However, we would lose nothing in attaining an alliance with the exorcists sent by the Church. In fact, we would gain a strong ally.

"I concur." Rias nodded with a tired expression on her face, as she held back a yawn. "If we were to help the exorcists and recover the swords, then we could focus our attention back onto this girl. We wouldn't have to worry about a possible stray exorcist attack while we're focusing on something else. At the very least, we know that she won't kill any one of us; however, on the opposite side of things, the stray exorcists and Fallen Angels would." Wearing a frown on her face, Rias shook her head. "Either way, it's getting late and I'm getting tired. Once Asia finishes healing our wounds, I and my peerage are going to head back to our club room to have a talk. Afterwards, I'm going to sleep with Issei, of course, after a nice, refreshing shower. What about you?"

"Likewise, I'm going to talk with my peerage about this. They already know to avoid this girl, however, I need to explain things even clearer so that they understand her high threat. Afterwards, I'm going to have to do some paperwork... so I probably won't be getting much sleep this night, unfortunately."

Rias giggled with a cheery demeanour. "My condolences."

With those words, she twirled around and walked over to where her Knight and Rook lay. As she went, I couldn't help but think about whether or not this decision was the correct one. There was no right answers and no wrong answers, we didn't lose anything and we only stood to gain from it, however, we would be forced out into the open. If this was the incorrect move on a chess board, I would be able to solve it with a few quick thoughts and strategies, however, this was real life. It was not as one-dimensional as chess was.

Even if this was the best move we could make, it could still spell trouble for us.

As the cold night wind sharply picked up, I felt a shiver go down my spine. My body shaking, I shook my head from side to side, to clear myself of this doubt that began to plague my mind.

' _Wrong decision or not, I will make this the correct one._ ' No matter what happens from here on out, I prepared to resolve myself for the consequences. Whether only good or bad comes from this, I did not know, however, it will not stop me from making sure my peerage was safe. I will not lose a single piece, no matter what.

With a glare in my eyes, I found my resolve in protecting my beloved peerage. Walking over towards my Queen, I began to frantically formulate a plan for any sort of situation, as well as organizing the events that had transpired today for my report once this all ends. Be it good or bad, I must still send word back about what had happened. So I could only strive to make it as good as possible.

With a determined light in my eyes, I walked forward with a confident stride.

 **†**  
 **Ex**

Opening my eyes, I gazed off out into the distance towards the night sky, the stars and moon lighting up the world below them. Sitting up on one of the many tall buildings decorating this city, I could only smile. With Logos sheathed and laying over my slightly raised left leg and under my further raised right leg, with its pommel lying near my left shoulder, I tightened my grip against the middle of the scabbard with my left and right hand, which were positioned with the left being closer to the pommel and the right further away from it. The excitement that I had felt earlier, the blood that pumped through my body with such extremity that it became hard to breathe when the thought rushes through my mind like a current - it was moments such as that, that I lived for.

To battle such interesting opponents, to gain new techniques to utilize in my next battle, and to become stronger.

Though I didn't remember much of my life, it was impossible to forget my two core values. To become the strongest and to feel joy. I acted upon these impulses, and they were what fueled me with my enjoyment. Looking down at Logos, my thoughts swirling around in my head much like that of a whirlpool, I asked the blade an important question.

"That lightning - how was I able to shoot it back?"

Waiting for its reply with bated breath, I was momentarily surprised by the answer I had received a few moments later. Its voice was serene in my head; it could've been compared to that of a woman, and yet it was not. If anything, Logos was more acquited to that of a man, one that spoke in a grandiose way, seemingly trying in vain to show off its lengthy vocabulary, however, the actual appearance would be that of a child who was trying to look more grown up. An adorable thought that always causes me to smile.

"It wasn't me, is that right? But you?" Returning its answer with another question and tilt of my head, I could only wonder as to how that was possible. Then again, those guys from before could control water, lightning, something that could cause destruction, and even fly... Weird techniques, surely, but, perhaps this means that I'm still growing stronger, just in a different way than before?

At the answer of Logos, my smile spread across my face and I fell backwards, now lying against the roof I was on. Moving my body over to the side, I pulled Logos out from between my legs and laid it down gently beside me.

"Hm, so you can absorb something called Holy power and use it to increase your own power?" At the phrase of Holy power, I was momentarily confused, however, if I were to connect the dots with what it was referring to, then I would only need to trace back a few things. For starters, this conversation started by talking about that lightning. Now, I had never gotten struck by it before, so I didn't know if it possessed such a similar feeling, but when I had been hit by it, it had felt tingly; much like when wielding Logos or the feeling some of those other swords had given off.

Speaking of those swords, they were pretty nice to listen to as I fought. Though that Destruction sword or whatever needs to stop shouting so much. It can get grating, but its voice was pleasant enough, so I didn't say anything, lest I accidentally offend it.

Shaking my head, I focused back on my original thoughts.

If these two tingly feelings were the same, then this Holy power that Logos spoke of is the same. In that case, it makes sense. To provide further proof, the swords those priests used inside that building had the same tingly feeling, though it felt much weaker and more artificial than anything else, really. And Logos had easily cut through it as if the part it had struck had faded away - or had been absorbed within itself.

Looking at it this way, what Logos said makes sense. Though how could something like that exist, I have no idea - but Logos, though it loves to joke around, never really lies about things like this.

"So, so can I use that lightning again!?" Sounding like an excited child, I eagerly moved my legs back and forth due to the excitement that I had felt. As giddy as I was, I decided to overlook the fact that shooting lightning from a sword was impossible, but rather, it was from intense kinetic energy producing powerful swaths of electricity with its movements.

My sword's response caused my grin to widen.

"I see! So it _is_ possible! Then, I'll have to start incorporating it into my techniques... That would seriously be exciting to pull out in the middle of a match!" At my childlike glee, Logos could only sigh - though I decided to ignore this due to my good mood. Though my eyelids grew heavier with each passing second, my excitement did not lessen. Though I would not tire physically, I do tire mentally. As fighting was fun, I couldn't just ignore my body's needs. After that lightning attack, I had contemplated staying and continuing the fight, but with a yawn, I decided to depart.

It wasn't like I was bored; rather, I was having so much fun that it hurt my heart to part just like that! But, unfortunately, these types of things are a must. If I did not need sleep, I could enjoy so much more, but life was never that easy.

With my smile lessening, I stared at Logos with half-lidded eyes, a dull gleam in them. My thoughts slowed, but my heartbeat quickened. Once again, the crackling returned. Much like the sound that the tv would display at times when nothing was playing, but the tv itself was on. Within my head, I could barely make out the sound of snickering and Logos comforting me.

"It's okay, Logos..." I whispered underneath my breath, pulling the sheathed blade closer to me as I did so. I touched my forehead against the pommel, and as I did so, the crackling stopped. "As long as I'm with you... my one and only partner... I will never... feel..." As my words slowed and began to slur slightly, my eyes closed completely and my thoughts turned blank as my consciousness disappeared.

I had fallen asleep, lying there on that building, with the moon being my night light, the stars acting as my ceiling, and the night sky my covers, the roof acting as the mattress and Logos the pillow. I could only feel bliss as I laid there, a small smile on my face. A softness, covering my form, much like the warmth of a blanket. My consciousness dims and what awaits me, is that of a dream.

 **†**  
 **X͚̥̟̳͊̆̓͜͞͝**

The snickering stopped as the figure stared up at the full moon - the only moon that will exist here - atop her tower. Rising up into the sky, as if trying to pierce the Heavens, the tower was thought to be beautiful and full of everything possible. At one point, it could be said to be the centre of the world, a beautiful tower of gold and splendour. However, now it lay decrepit, as if it had been destroyed and yet rebuilt in hopes to surpass the original, but then abandoned one day, leaving it to become decrepit once more. Never truly piercing the Heavens, the tower lay there, cracks running up and down its walls and moss growing from its side.

The girl's long, wavy and fluffy, pale, red hair danced softly in the gentle breeze and her dark cyan eyes glared at the moon, at the sight of the sword reflected in it.

"Disgusting." The girl spoke, but even her own word betrayed her true feelings: that of longing. She wanted that blade, much like she wanted everything else in existence. And yet, she knew she would never hold such a blade, even within this false prison of hers.

Behind her, the sound of a soft slap was heard, much like the sound bare feet would make when landing on stone. Whirling around with a complicated expression, she gazed at _it_. The most disgusting sight she could be treated to at the moment. And yet, there was a pang in her chest, as if she desired the garbage that was before her. Though she already knew the answer, she refused to acknowledge it.

"R̸̡̞̝͕̣̉ͯͦ̋ͦ̔̑͋ͨ͘̕͘͠u҉̨̣̖͇̀̓ͮ̈̐͐́͜a̴̧̺̗̍͑c̶͔̩͔̋̀̀́͜͏̬̜̥̜̟̳̞̑h̵̰͍̘̼̫̪͂̌ͦ͒́̚ͅ. Do you dare intrude upon this sacred ground? Despicable." Shaking her head, the girl received no reply, as if the being that had appeared was incapable of speech.

Its form was much like the wind; interchangeable, as if it was always morphing itself, spinning and twisting around, over and under, on itself, changing never and forever and forever and never taking the same twisted form twice. It was a mysterious being, through and through, one filled with many controversies due to how it had been birthed upon this world - or so went the rumours.

The girl huffed and crossed her arms as she turned towards the side. "Do what you please, but keep in mind: the stronger she gets, the more power I will attain." As if she had gotten a reply, she suddenly stomped on the ground with her left foot and whirled back on the being who stood like that of wind. "I will get what I want! No matter what... no matter the length that I must wait..." Her words becoming lower and lower as if a sudden depression began to take hold of her, she hung her head down with half-lidded eyes. Thinking back to when she was not locked within this prison of hers, she reminisced back onto what could be called her glory days. Breathing out a bored sigh, she raised her right hand - revealing iron shackles dangling on her wrist - and rubbed the side of her head.

"Oh well. Nothing you do will change anything. It's not like you can have any effect on the _outside_." At her words and roll of her eyes, the figure made up of the wind took a single step forward, before moving back into place slowly, causing the girl to sniff and send a snide remark its way. "What? Did you honestly think your existence merited any value within this prison of mine? Hah, don't make me laugh. If it wasn't _against the rules_ I would've already devoured you by now."

Crossing her arms once more, she leaned back with a sly grin.

"Don't think I can't do it. With the way you are? It'd be like taking candy from a child - and I've done that before, you know?"

True to her words, the way the figure was at the moment, it couldn't do anything to resist the girl. This might have been her prison, but it wasn't like she didn't possess power. One can think of this jail as her home turf; her advantage and its disadvantage.

The figure peered past the girl and down at the ground. Though the moon was behind her, the shadow she cast went towards it. A shadow of something unnatural, something grotesque and twisted beyond belief, that was clearly not that of the girl standing there. A monster - or rather, a Demon.

It was something that could've come out from a fantasy book.

The girl spun around without warning and gazed up at the moon with an admiring gaze. The gaze was full of longing and love. Reaching a hand out to it, it looked as if she could not reach it - however, against all odds, when her hand closed around the moon, it had disappeared, however, the light that had been exuding from the moon stayed, as if it still occupied that space in the sky.

"My power is unlimited here." She said, her voice booming in from all directions and at a monotone. "What I want is achieved in the way that I desire." She continued, this time her jarring voice coming from behind, causing the figure to look behind itself - at her true form. "R̸̡̞̝͕̣̉ͯͦ̋ͦ̔̑͋ͨ͘̕͘͠u҉̨̣̖͇̀̓ͮ̈̐͐́͜a̴̧̺̗̍͑c̶͔̩͔̋̀̀́͜͏̬̜̥̜̟̳̞̑h̵̰͍̘̼̫̪͂̌ͦ͒́̚ͅ. Before you lies vengeance for what you had done to me. And yet, I cannot achieve it. Strange, isn't it?"

Disappearing like the fragments of a broken pane of glass, the figure turned back to its front and looked back at the girl. She had been frozen in place since grabbing the moon, and only now, several seconds after the beast behind it had disappeared, did she continue to move.

Opening her hand, she revealed a small, white ball floating just above her hand. On closer inspection, the figure noticed that it bore a striking resemblance to the moon. Narrowing its eyes, it put two to two together and came up with the answer.

The strange ball in her hand _was_ the moon.

"An interesting premise. A thought, perchance? Would you allow me to ask you a question? No need to answer. Simply send it by _her_. I will receive my answer eventually, no matter how long I must wait." Without waiting for the figure's response, the girl, spreading her hand wide, allowed the small moon to fall down from where it had hung, but before it could touch her palm, she enclosed her hand around it, crushing it and cutting off the light source of the prison, delivering it into darkness. As the figure did not need light to see - not in its current form, in any case - it was not bothered by the sudden darkness, and neither was the girl, as the very air that hung in the air was, in reality, herself, thus, her senses existed everywhere and within everything in this realm that was a jail to her.

"͎̕ _W͏̧̗̪͉͋h̡̻͎̪̖͔̒̏͟at ̻̑ͭ͗i̢̢͔ͨ͊ͭͣ̕s͎̱̻̾̿̾ ̪ͧ͐̏͑t͏hê̙͓̜̳̑͋ͫ͢͞ ̸̷͓̭̰̀̂mͣe͇͇̒a̰͎̙̞̓̎͂̑͘͞ń̓͋ĩ̷̳̤̮͐̾̇̂n̨͔̙͓̔̑̋̕g̷͇̑̅̈́ ̢oͪf͓̤̳̂̈́ͣ͠ j̷̸̽o̐yͬ_?̸̨̮̲̮͓̝̔̔͠"ͨ

 **†**  
 **Rias Gremory**

Letting out a relieved sigh, I dropped myself down onto my comfortable chair that was placed in the club room. It was custom-made just for me, after all, so it would of course obviously be comfortable - and very expensive, at least by most human standards. Leaning my head back against it, I closed my eyes softly and breathed in and out a few times, before reopening them and scanning the faces of those present.

Akeno, my Queen, was smiling as she usually was, however, it was definitely forced. Her breathing was shallow, and her body trembled with each breath she takes in and out. Standing beside her, was Asia, my Bishop, who was using her Sacred Gear on her chest, just to relieve some of the leftover pain from what had happened earlier. Sitting down and munching on a sweet subconsciously was Koneko, my Rook. Though usually, she doesn't show many emotions and instead wears an unreadable expression, this time, however, it was clear that she was uneasy. If the times she missed her sweets and accidentally bit her finger didn't clue me in on this, it would be when she would finish eating what she held, but continue eating as if she still held something in hand. Then there was Issei, who stood awkwardly beside Yuuto, my Pawn and Knight respectively.

Issei was glancing all around the room with quick breaths, as if he was about to get his test scores read out to his parents and Yuuto was standing stock-still, awaiting whatever fate may await him. However, there was a slight glimmer in his eyes which may have even been nervousness and fright.

I trusted my gut, however, so I did not overlook this. ' _I will start calm and understanding. I'll first ask about what had happened and attain any information that they possess, and then I'll get strict. Then... I'll end with forgiveness - and punishment. Though as much as I would love to push punishment to the side, I can't exactly let them do whatever they want. As their King - and master - I must draw them back into line. I-it would be the best for us all. Surely, they'll understand this, right?_ ' Thinking this with slight worry, I placed the shaking fingers of a trembling hand onto my chest and breathed out. ' _I can do this! No, I must do it!_ ' Focusing my gaze towards Yuuto, I saw him visibly tense, as if he knew that I was about to begin - and begin I will, but not in the way that he believed.

"First of all..." I muttered, pushing my body up and out of the chair with my hands. With the attention turning towards me, I walked around my desk and towards Yuuto, and therefore Issei who stood next to him. As I came to stand in front of the two with a stern expression and hands on my hips, Yuuto flinched, closing his eyes, while Issei merely shut his tight, tensing his body for any sort of a pain to be inflicted to him.

However, contrary to what they believed would happen, I instead lightly wrapped my arms around their shoulders and hugged the pair close together. Shoving their bodies down so that I could rest my chin on both of their heads - and subsequently pushing their faces into my breasts - I smiled with tears threatening to spill. "Welcome back Yuuto. Thank the Maou that you - Issei and the rest - were safe. I'm really, really glad!"

At my words and actions, the two were surprised to the point of releasing a gasp. However, their reactions then took two different routes: whereas Issei began to smile in delight at the hug and intimacy with my body, Yuuto relaxed and gently smiled with a warm gaze, that which one would send to their parent when they hug him. Both were an adorable sight.

After hugging them for a few minutes, I repeated the action with Koneko, Asia, and lastly, Akeno, who I held with even more force. This night, I had come so close to losing her, that it had felt like my heart would shatter. But thank goodness for Asia...

It was such a blessing to have received such wonderful members.

Ending the last hug, I then walked back in front of my Pawn and Knight - this time, I held my stern expression from before.

"Now then - would you care to explain everything for me, Kiba Yuuto, my Knight?" With nothing less than authority in my tone, I ordered my Knight to answer my question. Whether it was because it was an order, or that he planned on filling me in on everything, either way, he complied immediately.

"Certainly, my King." Bending down and bowing, with his right arm held across his chest, he was the model knight. I could only smile at that, but I hid it by turning around. However, only Akeno was able to sense the slight shift in my mood, as she giggled lightly, even if it caused her to cough out in pain. Sending her a look of worry, I motioned for Yuuto to begin.

"To start things, we must go back; back to the day this all started, on the day that it snowed - when I believed everything was fine..." At his words, Issei shockingly muttered about the Holy Sword Project.

Yuuto took a deep breath before he inevitably began.

"I remember the day that I had first arrived there. In my chest, I held a resolve, one that could not be shaken. That I was helping the Church and humanity, that God wished for this, that I was doing Him good. That I was needed, and so were those that were gathered. However, things took a different turn, even though this belief was held firm within my and their hearts'...

"I witnessed those close to me disappear. They would be led out one day but they would never return. The little ones would cry and they would be gone when we wake. As if the crying was an insult - one that had to be punished immediately. At the start, we did not know, or rather, couldn't understand and comprehend what was happening. It was a long time later - months, years it felt like - that we began to slowly piece together everything. That we were wrong. We were not helping God; we were being used and discarded like trash.

"For some time, we stayed there like that, scared out of our minds. The experiments were painful, but we forced our way through them. We tried, we really did. Even when we threw up blood and fell ill for days on end, we held out, even amidst our rapidly declining number. We pushed our bodies to the utmost extreme, with what little food and water we received. We showed them we were strong, that we could survive anything. Perhaps, they would see us as assets... as if we were useful.

"However... my companions... my brothers and sisters... still, they had disappeared. One on one day, two on another, perhaps three on a separate week. It was like a game to them; but to us, it was all that we could do to survive. Those too weak were thrown away, but those of us that were strong persisted onwards. Taking a step forward, through the snow, the heavy snow that never ends as it listlessly falls down past us, making it heavier and heavier to traverse. And then, on that fateful day..." At those words, he finally stopped, hanging his head downward, traces of tears in his eyes and a solemn expression written on his face. "They came and began to kill us. Without discrimination, my companions fell. With their power, I managed to escape... even though I wasn't the strongest, the fastest, the smartest, I was the one that had been chosen to survive. I have no idea why it was me... why did they pick me?

"And then, out there in the snow with the sound of barking behind me, I had met you - Rias Gremory, my King and master. As I lay there, on the brink of death, you appeared to me, as if you were an Angel sent from God, and you saved me. But you were no Angel, but a Devil. Whether it is ironic or not, I will always feel grateful to you for rescuing me from that Hell that day."

Yuuto paused for a moment, taking the time to wipe the tears out from his eyes. Looking back up, he glanced towards Issei quickly, before looking back at me with a calm expression. Even though it was anything but calm. "Years past from that event, and though the time caused me to forget, one single action caused the feelings of revenge and frustration to return to mind. On that day, I was reminded of my goal, of my revenge, of my companions, and of my past, before I had become a Devil.

"When you saw that Holy Sword in my picture book..." Issei whispered, barely audible, eyes going wide. Yuuto nodded without looking towards him, a complicated look in his eyes as if he had no idea what to think about it anymore.

"It was raining that day, I remember that vividly. It felt as if they were crying - whether it be for me or for something else, it was what I had envisioned within my head, as I stared down at the ground consumed in my rage. The sky was crying for me, I had thought to myself. Be it in grief, or from mocking, I did not know. I walked through it, head down and thinking of only my own selfishness. Of the goal and grudge I've harboured for years on end, ever since that day you saved me, Buchou..." Stopping a moment, he took a breath to calm himself down. After a few tries, he continued as he gripped his chest with a hand. "I then ran into a priest - which had been cut down by Freed Sellzen. Wielding a fragment of Excalibur, I couldn't help myself... I felt angered. Angered that the target of my vengeance finally reared in its ugly head and that I would finally start to take revenge. For myself... but most importantly, for my fallen companions back then...

"We fought, but it was clear that I was at a disadvantage. Against an Excalibur, I felt weak. As if I was nothing but a child, just like then, back when _it_ had happened... And yet, I forced my body on, as if I could change my own destiny, with these two hands of mine. I continued fighting, even knowing that I could die and that nobody would await me on the other side. It was a horrifying thought, but I ignored it. I pushed it back, I didn't care. If it was for my sake... for the sake of my friends... For this revenge! And then, after being struck down by his blade, I felt as if the end was coming. However, it did not arrive. She - Ex - had appeared, jumping down from atop a building. Stopping the blade from cutting into me and finishing me off, she wore a smile as if she was happy. A ridiculous sight."

Yuuto finally stopped his story as he looked down at the carpeted floor. Tears were threatening to pour forth from his eyes as unpleasant memories rose to the surface before us all.

Even as the hair covered his eyes, Yuuto continued with balled up fists and a snarl on his face.

"I had felt so much anger! She, too, wielded one of the detestable Holy Swords! It might have not been an Excalibur, but it might as well have been! When she, Ex, when she had said that she was Excalibur - it felt like total nonsense, the fairy tale of a dumb and innocent child, but I couldn't stop myself! I hated her! I despised her down to my core! I knew she was not that blade; how could she be!? But even so! Even so I... Directed my anger, my frustrations, my inability to do anything, the sacrifice of _them_ and my vengeance towards her unfairly... and fought her... as calm as I was on the outside, within I was seething in rage and frustration. I..."

Tears now spilt out from his eyes as his words slowed. Reaching forward, I placed a hand against his left cheek and brushed away the tears slipping down from his left eye with my thumb. Issei placed a hand weakly on his shoulder as if trying to let him know that we were here for him. Koneko had actually dropped one of her chocolate chipped cookies and merely focused on Yuuto, a sad expression on her face as tears shimmered in her eyes, appearing as if they were dancing due to the light. Asia had her eyes closed with her hands grasped before her, though tears went down her cheeks anyway. Akeno was looking away, though it was obvious she was holding herself back from crying due to the way her body shook - from pain and from sadness.

"I... I... to her, I had begged for death. Perhaps I did. Perhaps... that is just what I want. To die. But, but even so - I cannot die. There is something else, something that I must do! Even if it's a fool's dream, I will achieve it... to destroy Excalibur... for my sake, for my comrades who had perished unfairly, for..." Sniffing, he suddenly stopped speaking. As if his throat had caught on something, and words had escaped his grasp. "She... she easily defeated me, me who was a Devil, a Knight of Gremory... hah... what Knight of Gremory am I? I'm just... nothing but a trai-"

At these words, I finally spoke up, shouting over him with anger in my tone. However, there was also compassion, as if my words were delivered from a mother who only wanted best for their child. "Yuuto!" At his name, he snapped his head up and gazed into the brilliant blue eyes of his King, a stunned expression on his face and eyes wide with disbelief. "You are my Knight. This will never change, not now, not in a thousand years, not ever. You are the Knight of Gremory, and as such, never say such words again!"

Once again, his tears rose up out of his eyes, spilling forth over his cheeks. Sucking in a breath between his teeth, Yuuto felt sorrow - and yet such an extreme amount of happiness at my words. "Thank you!" He cried, dropping his head, letting tears and snot drip out. "Thank you..." He said, though lower, it was clearly heard by all those present. "I'm sorry... for leaving! And, and I know that I cannot ever repay this debt, however, if it's alright with you... please... please let me renew my vows as a Knight, here... and now!"

Smiling gently down at him, I nodded affirmingly. Lowering himself down to the ground, he took a knee and looked up at me after rubbing his face on his sleeve.

"I, Kiba Yuuto, hereby solemnly swear, to serve you, my King and master, Rias Gremory, heiress of the Gremory name, for now, and unto death. I will uphold your name and your principles, from now and unto the end of time, never once leaving your side or thinking of it. I am your sword - your Knight. This will never change, and as I swear upon this name you have gifted me, I will be your most loyal servant!" In what could only be a rather dramatic way to finish his vow, he flicked his head down into a small bow and held his position, hardly even moving, as if he was a statue.

An incredibly sight - one that would move any other girl that attended this school to the point of crying for him in only mere seconds - even if they did not understand why. Smiling adoringly down at him, I placed a hand down atop his head.

"Kiba Yuuto. You may rise - rise not as just Kiba Yuuto, but as Kiba Yuuto, the Knight of the Gremory, and as especially, as your own self who serves Rias Gremory." Doing so, he slowly rose up. Pushing his body up with his legs, he looked me straight in the eyes as he did so. With a warm, yet calm, expression on his face, he matched the image of a Knight perfectly in my head. I could only smile warmly at that.

The moment held for only seconds, but it felt like an eternity. However, like most moments, it had to be ruined.

"Now then, are you ready for your punishment?" At my words, his expression dropped.

"U-uhm, what?" Yuuto stammered out his reply as he leaned his body back, though daring not to take a single step away. A small drop of sweat ran down the side of his face from nervousness and the awkward smile he held, which shook slightly, didn't help matters. Though tears were still smudged onto his face and his eyes were red, I could not hold back my anger at his foolishness.

However, at the same time, I could not hold back my happiness towards his return and his second vow of loyalty.

"Did you truly think that just apologizing and vowing your oath once more would strip away what you had done?" I said with a dark expression and light giggle in my tone.

Akeno seemed to match, as she suddenly began to giggle, drawing the Knight's attention onto herself. Covering her mouth with a sleeve, she spoke up after she finished giggling. "Ufufu, you should be more considerate of the feelings of your master, Yuuto~." At her words, Yuuto's mouth hung open, much like a fish. As if he was trying to speak, but couldn't bring himself to; he could only stand there dumbly, not truly knowing what to say or what to do.

Issei nodded sagely as he crossed his arms, his eyes closed and acting as if he had done no wrong.

"That means you too Issei. Koneko as well."

"Wa-wait what!?" Issei shouted as he nearly tripped on nothing.

"Of course, the two of you disobeyed my orders and went out on your own. How could I possibly miss this opportunity to punish the two of you? Now then, I wonder as to what punishment I should give..." Placing a hand underneath my chin, I pretended to think up a solution. However, I already had one in mind, one which I had gotten from Sona, who had gotten it from her older sister, Serafall. Suddenly snapping my fingers I announced what punishment awaited the three of them. "One thousand spankings! One entire set for Yuuto and a shared set with Issei and Koneko"

Akeno nearly burst into laughter at that. She most likely would've if she wasn't still somewhat injured. "Oh, you three should be happy; I'd love to get spanked by Rias."

Issei's nose bled at hearing that, most likely, imagining the scene within his head.

"N-now I wouldn't want to miss such a sight, b-but, isn't one thousand a little... extreme?" He said, rubbing his nose with his sleeve.

"While it is true that one thousand seems like overdoing it a tad, wouldn't you say it would be more effective than doing only ten?"

"I-I suppose you have a point." Apparently agreeing with me, Issei glanced over at Koneko, who looked very nervous as she moved in place. "B-but! It was my idea, so Koneko shouldn't get punished because of me! I'll take her part of the spanking... even though I'd like to see that too." At his words, though the last part wasn't heard by anyone, Koneko looked up at him, surprised. Her eyes wide, she couldn't believe that such a pervert would go so far, just to make sure she wasn't punished.

But even so, I did not plan on letting him have his way.

"Unfortunately, I cannot do that. Your plan or not, she decided to follow you. Thus, it was her mistake too and as such, she needs a punishment. If you were to take it all upon yourself, then she would simply rely on you for everything - no, she must be punished so that she will not make such a mistake again."

At this, Issei clamped his mouth shut. He had wanted to interject during my decision, but he had quickly realized his foolishness in doing so. My logic was indisputable. He could not argue against it, even if he had wanted to. However, as reason seemed to fail, emotion clearly did not.

"B-but, even so! If it was not because of _me_ this wouldn't have happened! I alone am at fault, because I persuaded her! So I should receive the spanking!"

Just as I began to open my mouth, Koneko stood up noisily and spoke up for the first time since this meeting started.

"N-no. I'll take my punishment. So, please... Buchou. Don't be hard on him." Koneko accepted her punishment and with a resolute gaze, she requested for me to take it easy on Issei. Even this girl, who has openly shared her disgust towards Issei, would try and help him so calmly, so easily. With a warm look in my eyes, I could tell that the bond that my peerage has was not weak; but strong. Much like a flame that flickered like that of a powerful Dragon's breath.

Fitting, considering this generation's Red Dragon Emperor was in my peerage - Issei.

"...Even so, I must punish the both of you. Thus, I suggest you prepare yourself now." With a smile, I gave them time to get ready. Turning around, Koneko bent forward, allowing her buttocks to be seen by those present. Though Issei desperately tried to stop her, he knew how fruitless his endeavours were. With a solemn look, he watched as I approached the small girl.

Raising a hand, I swung it towards the left cheek - however, just before impact, I stopped. Koneko, who had her eyes shut tight, gingerly opened them when she felt nothing after a few moments. Then, with a light press, I touched (slapped) Koneko's bottom.

"There we go." With a blush on Koneko's face, she looked up at me in surprise. "Your part of the punishment is completed." Her mouth slightly agape, she couldn't react properly at my words, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find the words to express her happiness and confusion.

However, Issei beat her to the punch.

"Good for you Koneko!" Placing a hand on her shoulder, her eyes shifted over towards the beaming Issei. "Now It's my turn, huh? Please, go ahead!" With a happy-go-lucky smile on his face, Issei presented his bottom towards me, not really realizing the predicament he had placed himself in.

Giggling with a hand covering my mouth, I decided to inform him of his misunderstanding as Koneko stood back up to her full height, though her gaze never leaving Issei.

"Oh, Issei. Did you forget? The punishment was one thousand spankings."

"U-uhm, what?" He muttered with a confused look on his face as he tried to wrap his head around what I had said. Then, with a face full of horror, he realized. "I-if you did one slap to Koneko, t-then I'll get...?" He gulped nervously. "Nine-hundred and ninety-nine..." He finished after a moment's pause, face pale and crestfallen. Then, glee lit up his face once more. "B-but, even if it's just one below one thousand if they're all like that first one that Koneko had received, then just maybe!"

However, his happiness was wrong. As I wound my hand back, a magic circle appeared before it. At the sight, Issei's expression turned sour as he realized that I would not be going easy on him.

"As you said; it was all your idea, right? And that you, and you alone, persuaded cute and gullible Koneko, yes? Then, you must receive most of the punishment!" With a smile on my face, I swung my hand. Upon contact with Issei's butt, he shrieked loudly, his screams even perhaps reaching the other side of the school.

The answer his screeching received, was a similar scream - most likely Saji. It seems as if Sona had started her punishment for him, so I cannot fall behind now!

Slapping once more, Issei screamed out in pain. A moment later, Saji screamed from the Student Council room.

I swung again, and Issei's yell of pain was followed by Saji once more.

Turning my head to look at Yuuto, who was desperately looking around the room, as if to find a place to escape to, I giggled even as I slapped Issei for the fourth time. "After his set, prepare yourself for your own. One thousand, just for you." Hearing this, Yuuto leaned back, his face blanched from such a thought. Realizing the futility in trying to escape, Yuuto sighed, hanging his head down dejectedly.

Koneko lightly patted his right shoulder, though she had to stand up on the tip of her toes to do so. Looking at her, Yuuto silently wished for her to help him within his heart - as if her words could save him. Showing an expression on his face, similar to that of longing for hope amidst despair, he gingerly waited for Koneko to show him to his salvation.

However, she merely nodded and offered a thumbs up, before spinning around and walking back calmly to the couch, a slight skip to her step.

Yuuto tracked her movements, his mouth agape as he watched Koneko sit down on the couch and begin to consume her snacks once more, completely calm. I personally found the interaction cute, as Koneko offered him her support, but at the same time, showed an air as if she did not really care - it was truly precious to watch Yuuto break down even more at the punishment he would receive.

However, what surprised me, was when he suddenly smiled and stood up straight, accepting his fate with glee.

I'd think he was the masochist of the group if Akeno wasn't beside me watching me slap Issei's bottom intensely, with a heavy blush on her cheeks and her finger held up to her lips. At that, I could only laugh awkwardly as I slapped Issei once more, causing him to yelp out in pain... and possible arousal.

 **†**  
 **X**

"Oh man, this is just some shit." Grumbled out Issei as he scratched the back of his head with his left hand, a scowl decorated on his face. Not only did he have to suffer through nine-hundred ninety-nine spankings last night, to the point that he wouldn't be able to sit down any time soon if it was not for Asia's Sacred Gear, but when his two friends decided to peep on the Kendo club, he got dragged into it just because he was in the area - it truly was not fair, at least, to Issei it wasn't. It wasn't like he was going there himself to peep - which he was, but that part was ignored by Issei himself so that he wouldn't have to feel guilty at all.

Grumbling out a string of curses, Issei walked down the shopping district, looking for any restaurant or even stall, that was selling food. His stomach growling, he sighed dejectedly as he saw nothing good.

"Such a drag... Ah, c'mon!" Ruffling up his hair in a frantic manner, his thoughts returned back to what Kiba had told them about that blonde swordswoman, Ex. Apparently, she was able to imitate any sword style or technique just from being exposed to it, or something. The brunet Devil didn't really understand most of it, but Buchou looked incredibly disturbed and serious about this, so it had to be really bad.

"Agh, I'm so hungry..." Issei mumbled, rubbing his stomach with half-lidded eyes in thought.

"You and me both." A voice responded from behind him, a rather familiar one, but he paid it no mind, instead, nodding his head in agreement at her words.

"Yeah, I wasn't able to eat lunch cause of my two idiot friends." Pushing the blame onto them - and most certainly not because he was heading to the same place to do some peeping before eating his lunch - he smiled thinly at the antics of his two friends, lost in thought towards them. Though Issei didn't see it, the girl behind him nodded sagely.

"Friends are wonderful, but sometimes they can be a burden, no?" Though her words were not said very loudly, most likely without intention for Issei to hear them, he still heard her speak because of his enhanced hearing due to being a Devil. At her words, Issei paused for just a split second.

' _That voice and tone... where have I heard it before?_ '

Thinking this, Issei continued to walk forward as he tried to figure out who was responding to him. The voice was familiar, but it wasn't overly so. Meaning, that it had to be someone he had met recently. But the big question that must be asked, was _who_ was speaking?

"In any case, shall we go get something to eat, friend?" At those words, Issei paused, his face turning pale as realization hit him like a truck. He slowly turned his head towards his right and looked over his shoulder at the girl who had-

"Huh? Nobody?" Issei voiced with surprise and eyes wide. He heard some giggling a moment later, and, turning completely around, he saw _her_.

Standing, now on his right, hands attached to her stomach as she freely laughed, was a blonde-haired girl with the sheath of a katana on her left side. She was someone Issei recognized - in fact, he had met her the other night. Their meeting was still vividly etched into Issei's head with such clarity that if he had been talented in drawing, he could've drawn the girl and the scene straight from his memory.

Ex.

Gasping out loud, Issei prepared to turn and run away, however, he paused. She had said something that gave him pause just a moment ago. ' _D-did she call me a friend? Or are my ears playing tricks on me again?_ ' Thinking this, instead of running away like he was told to by Buchou - repeatedly - he approached the girl and spoke up, admittedly, very nervous and anxious. Though it was obvious in his tone what he was feeling, the girl ignored it.

"Uh-uhm, What are y-you doing here?" Issei asked her with a shaken up expression on his face. It was clear that, as he was nervous and anxious, he also felt a bit of fear. This was because of last night, but also because of the sword at her side.

"Hm?" She paused with a low hum as she leaned her body more so towards her left side with a slight tilt of her head towards the right. Placing a finger on her bottom lip, she clearly began to think over his question, and for a moment, Issei felt that now was his only chance to run - however, as he began that thought, Ex suddenly leaned forward with a brilliant smile. "Why do I need a reason to hang out with a friend?"

"Friend?" Issei breathed out, not completely understanding why she was calling him as such.

"Of course!" She very nearly shouted, seeming to jump upwards - though her feet did not leave the concrete ground - and raised both her hands skyward with a joyous smile on her face. "After fighting against one another last night, what could be, but friends?" With such a naive smile on her face, Ex proclaimed as such. With her hands held behind her back, she was leaning slightly forward, and, with a downward gaze, Issei could very nearly see down her kimono. As quick as he looked down, he looked back up at her face, but the impulse was too strong. His gaze began to lower once more, but this time, Issei spun around so he could not look at Ex. Though surprised by this, her smile did not drop.

"Well, I guess, we could... go get some food?" Issei hurriedly said, knowing that she was also hungry. After all, what was the worse that could happen? He was just getting a meal for himself and for one other girl - he had plenty of money with him, so there was no risk of not being able to pay.

"Really?" The girl excitedly exclaimed, slapping her hands together, drawing the attention of Issei and some other passersby, though their attention waned quickly and they continued doing what they were previously. "Then, let's go!" Grabbing Issei's wrist quickly with her left hand, she began to pull the brunet Devil after her and down the street, a cheery smile adorn upon her face. Swinging her right arm up and down like a kid who was excited, Issei couldn't help but smile at the sight of the childlike Ex.

However, that smile quickly faded as they went from stall to stall.

"Ooh, I want that honeyed apple!"

"Mhm, that meat kebab looks delicious!"

"Oh, oh! Issei, can you get some of that ice cream for me?"

To Issei, this was supposed to be a simple walk while eating. Not much money would be spent; most of the food on this street being sold by the various vendors weren't expensive in the least. However, the price would start to add up, when you buy from each and every vendor, and even ordered multiple of every item.

Issei stared at the back of Ex's head with surprise and slight annoyance, as he began to compare Ex's eating habits with Koneko's. Both girls, while Ex was bigger in all the right areas, ate a ridiculous amount of food - but which one could eat more?

At the very least, Koneko never drained his wallet as Ex did.

By the time they exited the food market, Ex was left with three servings of dango and a small pudding, which she seemed to be saving as she slowly bit off from the dango, leaving only two servings left. She chewed rather quickly - as if she couldn't wait to eat the remainder of her food. To anyone else, she might seem incredibly hungry - however, if they were to know the amount of food she had eaten, then they'd be shocked that she was still able to eat.

Looking back down the food market, Issei stopped. Sensing his stopped movement, Ex slowed down to a standstill. Without really looking at Issei, she devoured another serving of dango. "Wut's wrung?" Ex said between mouthfuls.

Slowly, Issei replied. "...Why did each and every single vendor... give you a rather large discount? They acted as if you were old friends with them or something..."

Ex paused for a few moments, not even bothering to chew, pondering Issei's words. Then, she swallowed and forced back a coughing fit, before replying with tears in her eyes. "Because we're friends!" Her voice was rather energetic for someone that had nearly choked, but Issei shook his head, ignoring that.

"That's obvious to see. I want to know _why_."

"Oh." Ex paused once more and began to eye her dango as if she'd rather eat it than answer these questions, but she answered nonetheless without taking a bite. "I've helped them in the past."

"Oh?" Issei turned towards her, raising a curious brow as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Mhm!" Humming, Ex began to balance the dango stick on her index finger with little to no effort. After a few moments of this, she looked back up at Issei, a huge grin on her face. "When people come by and try to steal food, or money, or simply looking for a fight - even helping their children when they're lost, or play games with them - I do all kinds of things when I'm wandering around, so these people simply remember me from my good deeds. That's why they're friends - and why they give me discounts so I can eat more!" Exclaiming as such, she flung the dango skyward with a simple movement of her hand and the two watched the dango sail upwards before it finally reached its zenith - at that moment, there was a shout.

"Help! Someone stole my purse!"

Looking towards who had shouted, the pair spotted an elderly woman who was pointing towards the food market. Following her line of sight and finger, they spotted a man with dirty brown hair and wearing a black jacket dashing away, clutching at a pink purse against his chest. Breathing heavily, he pushed past the pedestrians and even knocked down a stall in the process. Seeing this, Issei desperately wanted to step in and apprehend him, however, before he could even take a single step, Ex rushed forth.

Immediately after one or two seconds of running, she had reached a little more than halfway towards the robber.

Issei spotted her unsheathing her katana, to which he opened his eyes wide with surprise. He raised his hand forward towards Ex, and shouted at her to stop, as if by doing so, she'd stop and sheath her blade, however, it was as if his words did not reach her ears.

Drawing her blade beautifully, she then flipped it upwards and around and grabbed the blade dexterously between her index and middle finger, and her thumb. With the pommel pointing towards the robber, Ex had a clear shot. Then, tossing the weapon at him, the robber stood no chance as the end of the sword connected with the back of his head, causing him to fall down to the ground. However, before he could touch the pavement, Ex dashed forward and grabbed him.

Though he was still conscious, he was also in an extreme amount of pain as blood was visible through his dirty hair. Before he could even so much as yell, Ex had him pinned down on the ground, with his left arm being held behind him and his right being trapped underneath him along with the purse. The katana pierced the ground behind the two and stood still.

Issei released a breath he didn't know he was holding, and then remembered the dango that she had tossed just before chasing after the man-

However, just as he did so, the dango connected with the ground. Issei simply stared at the wasted food, before another scream broke his concentration, drawing his attention. This time, it was not an elderly woman, but Ex herself who had screamed.

"Ah! My precious dango! You made me waste my food, you idiot!" Releasing his arm, she grabbed the man by the back of his head and pulled up, before slamming his face down on the ground. Repeatedly. "How - dare - you - my - dango - was - delicious!" Slamming his face into the ground between each word, Issei had to quickly hurry over and grab Ex by the shoulders to get her to stop. Even then, she still slammed his face into the pavement a few more times before actually allowing Issei to pull her away.

When a cop ran over a few minutes later panting, the robber's face was covered in blood that had come from his broken nose, a tear in his forehead, and from his mouth, where there were a few teeth missing. Even his right eye had swollen shut.

Though the cop reprimanded Ex, he seemed to do so in a familiar tone, as if this happens all the time. After that, the elderly woman was able to retrieve her purse from the cop and then slammed the purse onto the robber's back with an angry huff - though it clearly didn't hurt him - before walking away.

Ex simply laughed awkwardly with a dead look in her eyes at having lost her dango. Surprisingly, she still held her pudding and it was in no way damaged from the small struggle. How Ex had protected the delicate food, Issei had no idea.

However, at seeing this look, several of the men and women running the stalls came over, offering various sweets. From the honeyed apple from before to even a full-on steak - Ex received plenty of food that could feed an entire family during dinner. With stars in her eyes, she dug into the food - though she avoided the pudding like before.

After the two left the food market again, they began to head over towards the neighbourhood park. Just as they reached it, Ex finished off the rest of the food she had received, minus the pudding, which she pressed delicately into Issei's hands. Giving her a surprised look, he smiled.

"Than-"

"Hold onto that for me! I want to go play for a bit with the kids!" Ex ran off, towards several little kids who had been playing dodgeball.

"-k you..." Issei finished with a stunned expression, not really comprehending what he had just heard. He had thought she was saving the pudding to give to him, but it actually turned out that she just wanted to eat it later!

Issei felt like crying as his stomach growled, but he instead just sighed and found a park bench to sit at as he watched Ex jump to the side, dodging one of the red balls (they had two) before receiving one from her teammate, to which she threw into the crotch of one of the little boys. Ex didn't even look remorseful at doing so, and Issei quickly figured out that she must have aimed for that spot - she was quite a vicious player...

Issei groaned as he remembered playing dodgeball against the Sitri to decide which peerage was going to go to the Familiar Forest. At that time, he had gotten struck down at that spot too - though Koneko had paid the other team back by doing the same to Saji.

But even so - the memory still haunted him when he slept or when he looked at balls of any shape and size.

After nearly forty minutes of playing the sport, she began to talk to the kids and after a while, one of the kids moved to the tree and began to count. Issei realized that it must have been hide-and-seek. However, his eyes quickly clouded over as he saw all the kids go hide in obvious spots, while Ex climbed the tree... to the very top where no other kid would be able to go to.

She was an extremely competitive player, Issei realized as he stared up at the hiding Ex, who was wearing a large smile on her face. As the seeker ran about, finding the hiders, Issei soon began to stare up at the sky, his thoughts a whirl.

 _'Even though this girl attacked us, she's not all that bad, eh?'_ Mulling this thought over in his head, Ddraig, who had otherwise been silent since Issei had first seen Ex, spoke up within Issei's mind using telepathy.

{ **Issei. That girl is...** }

Humming, Issei sat back up, glancing at his left hand as he did so, before redirecting his gaze upwards towards Ex. ' _What is it, Ddraig?_ '

{ **...No, nevermind. I must be mistaken.** }

' _What do you mean?_ '

However, even after waiting five minutes, the Dragon never replied back. Sighing from frustration, Issei leaned back against the bench, laying his arms over the top as he did so. ' _If you aren't going to tell me shit, then don't say anything!_ ' Thinking this mostly to his self, Issei frowned as he looked back up at Ex. ' _He speaks as if he knows who she is. But that should be impossible, right? She looks to be about my age, so the only way for Ddraig to know her would be if she was..._ '

Not finishing this line of thought, Issei pulled out his phone and began to surf the web out of boredom.

 **†**  
 **X**

"It is time." Speaking this with a low, growling voice, the black-haired man stood up. Letting his black as night wings spring forth from his back, he walked away from his throne and towards the fat priest who stood before him, stopping only a handful of meters from him. "Have they been collected?" Kokabiel asked with a sneer.

"Y-yes, Lord Kokabiel. With the three we stole from the Church, and the one we obtained from Irina Shidou, thanks to yourself, of course, we have four of the seven fragments of Excalibur ready. Unfortunately, the fifth managed to escape, but Freed is currently-"

Kokabiel held up a hand, immediately stopping Valper from continuing.

"Four is good enough. Recall Freed, and fuse the swords into one. I'm going to go and meet the two later with our gift..." Chuckling darkly to himself, Kokabiel's eyes turned towards the unconscious body of Irina. "Prepare some of those worthless exorcists and have her body sent to the edge of this disgusting town. Untouched; we wouldn't want our goods spoiled, now would we?"

"Yes, my L-Lord." Valper bowed as sweat slipped down his forehead. "It will be done."

"Good. Now then, let us get ready for our final performance..."

 **†**  
 **X**

With the sun hanging low in the sky, the kids had been called back to their home by their mother or fathers. Ex quickly said her farewells to the kids and ran back over to Issei, smiling happily as she hummed an unrecognizable song. Taking an interest in it, Issei decided to ask her about it as he stood up, dusting his pants off in the process.

"What's that song?" He asked bluntly, to which Ex stared at him blankly.

"Song?" She asked with a tilt of her head, not comprehending what Issei was asking her.

"Yeah, what you were humming. Where did you hear it from?" Raising an eyebrow out of concern he asked her a few moments later hurriedly, though in a joking tone. "Don't tell me you didn't realize you were humming, right?"

"..." Ex did not respond as her face slowly morphed into a tomato. Quickly looking away, she mumbled out something, but Issei, even with his superior Devil hearing, could not understand her. After asking her to speak up, she turned her back towards Issei, she replied in a more hurried fashion than even when Issei asked her. "...I didn't know I was humming, nor do I know _what_ I was humming."

Seemingly embarrassed at Issei's guess, which was spot on, Ex began to walk away before Issei could say anything else to embarrass her further. Deciding to forget what had happened, Issei hurried to catch up with Ex, holding up the pudding as he approached.

"You forgot your pud-"

Before the Devil could realize what had happened, Ex had snatched the sweet from his hands and began to energetically skip away and out of the park, a dazzling smile on her face. Scratching the back of his head lazily, Issei smiled at Ex's behaviour and continued to hurry after her before she got too far away.

As he did so, a thought raced through his mind - an idea. Thinking on it for a few moments, he then turned his eyes towards Ex, staring at the back of her head as she continued to hum the same song from before happily, pudding in hand. Though he wanted to ask her about it again, he decided against it, as he would most likely be met with the same answer.

Sucking in a breath, Issei decided to go all in with his sudden idea and spoke up.

"Ex, do you, uhm..." Issei bit the bottom of his lip as she turned her head to look at him from the corner of her left eye. "Do you want to... help me out? As a friend?" At his words, Ex spun around, beaming.

"Of course! Friends help friends; that's the beauty of friendship, yes!?" Showing off a large amount of childish excitement to the point that she was practically glowing from happiness, Issei could only breathe out a sigh of relief. ' _Now the only thing left to do is to ask her and get her to agree... though that shouldn't be too hard to do._ '

"Then, do you remember that priest that you fought the other day? With the white hair?"

"Freed, right?" She instantly responded with a slight tilt of her head in curiosity as to what Issei wanted.

"Yeah, him!" Issei responded with almost a joy-like tone in his voice as his grin expanded slightly. "See, we're having a bit of a bad situation with him and his, uh, other friends?" At my frown, Ex responded with a tilt of her head, before she exclaimed in surprise, righting her head as she did.

"Oh! A disagreement between groups of friends!" The smile on her face was not one I expected, but I nodded appreciatively at her nonetheless.

"Yes, a sort-of disagreement between friends, one in which the only answer to said disagreement, is to beat each other senseless..." At Issei's wistful look, Ex nodded excitedly.

"Oh, of course. Solving friendships with violence is something that I can totally agree with!" Though Issei deadpanned at the expression she was making and her words, he quickly shook his head and continued after regaining his composure as if nothing had happened.

"Yep! And since you're one of our friends..."

"...You want me to help you and your friends out?" She finished for Issei, a charming smile on her face as her eyes began to light up in excitement. "Of course, I'll help you out!" She threw her arms upwards, without letting go of the container that held her pudding in her right hand, and brilliantly flashed her pearly whites at Issei. "As a friend, how can I say no?" Lowering her arms, she spun around, showing Issei her back. "It is a matter of course that I help you and your friends out so that you can solve this disagreement, but first, I must finish my delicious pudding!"

After saying this and licking her lips, she began to walk forward as she switched her hold of the sweet over to her left and dug around in her clothing - most likely a pocket - for a few moments and pulled out a small, black spoon.

Though Issei questioned why she was walking around with a utensil, he decided to not saying anything as he hurried after her. Humming the mysterious song from before, she looked down at the chocolate pudding and ripped the cover delicately off from it, before plunging the spoon into it, stirring it up as she went along.

' _Phew, this conversation was messy, but I managed to get a powerful ally such as Ex on our side. With her now being on our side, I don't have to worry about her attacking Rias or Sona, and we can deal with any threat in the near future caused by Freed or his fellow cronies. Even if a Fallen Angel leader decides to pop into town, Ex can easily take them on!_ '

Nodding along with his thoughts as he crossed his arms, Issei failed to notice a man run past him and into Ex's right side. Though, immediately after hearing a small, girlish shriek - which may or may not have come from the man - Issei saw the pudding Ex held drop to the ground and spill out. The man, wearing a black coat with the hood pulled up over his face, though what looked like white strands of hair could be seen on the side, ran off to the side and away from the pair.

Issei stared after the man in utter confusion, as though he had only seen the strands of his hair, the man's build, as well as hair colour, reminded him of someone, however, his thoughts were interrupted as whimpering reached his ears. Jerking his head back over to Ex, he noticed that her shoulders were shaking up and down and immediately figured out that the whimpering was coming from her. This stumped Issei.

He knew Ex as a strong girl, who could kick all the ass in the world if she wanted to.

Her and whimpering did not go together.

And then he sucked in a deep breath as an intense shiver ran through his spine like an Olympic runner, nearly causing his knees to buckle in the process. He felt as if the gravity around Issei increased by more than five times than usual, and though it was faint, he detected a small pang of pain flicker through his chest, like that of a sudden dagger piercing his body before being withdrawn, all in the same breath.

A savage, yet beautiful, golden aura hung over Ex, which Issei could see plainly like any other sight. Going past the realm of merely being able to sense it, the aura she exuded, which covered her form like a tight-knit sweater, was like a flame from a fireplace; or rather, it was as large as a pyre. Though Issei was easily threatened by the power radiating off of Ex, he quickly, though carefully, circled around Ex so that he could look at her face - and immediately regretted his actions upon doing so.

The look in her eyes was one of murder, with dark shadows appearing underneath her eyes, which reminded Issei of a certain avenger that had his entire family killed in an entire night and had just run into the man responsible for doing so.

With eyes that, while had tears pooled around them, faintly glowed red, Issei immediately pictured her as a Devil - even though _he_ was supposed to be the Devil in this equation. With tears cascading down her flushed cheeks and clenched teeth, Issei felt his breath hitch in fright, even though this anger was not directed at him. He felt his left arm shiver in what could either be excitement, fear, or warning, as Ddraig's voice spoke to him with a hurried yell.

{ **Issei! Calm her down immediately, lest you wish to die! And don't even think of giving her the slightest touch; with the amount of Holy power covering her image, just a mere touch will burn you asunder!** }

Issei gulped hard at the task laid out before him by Ddraig.

He could really only curse that familiar looking man for bumping into Ex and making her drop her pudding. If it wasn't for him, Ex wouldn't be behaving like this and he wouldn't have to risk his life just to calm her down!

Issei blinked in surprise as an idea began to soon formulate within his head, though it easily caused him to become increasingly nervous. There were two plans in his head currently. The first plan was to call her cute.

Immediately, he felt like punching himself at the mere thought, as the comment could easily get him killed.

However, the reasoning for this plan was because of Saji. When he had complimented her appearance, she became embarrassed immediately. But while this could work on a normal Ex, would it work on an enraged one with faintly red glowing eyes? Issei shuddered to think of what may happen if he did this.

The second was much more simple and frankly, more guaranteed to work. It was to buy her another pudding or two. Easy and simple to understand why it would work, Issei nodded as he decided to go with plan B and saved plan A for a future endeavour.

"E-Ex." He stammered, taking a singular step forward, though with his plan to get as close to her face as he could immediately be thrown out of the window as that single step caused intense pain to spread throughout his body.

In the time that it had taken for him to formulate his plans, decide which to go through with, and go through with it, the Holy aura covering her form had spread outward and towards Issei. At this pace, it may completely devour him and he would be killed. He gulped in fear, but pushed forward, nonetheless.

"Ex, ple-please listen to me. Calm down. Y-you can do it! This i-isn't like you!" His words seemed to have no effect on the blonde-haired girl, as her eyes darted to the side and where the man had escaped. Issei felt the need to grab her face and force her to look his way, but if he did that, then her Holy power would burn- ' _But not if I'm touching her with my left arm, which is now that of a Dragon's!_ '

With this surprising thought, Issei activated his Sacred Gear, [ **Boosted Gear** ]. As he did so, he reached forward and gingerly pulled her face back to him with his left arm. Though it burned a little bit at the touch, it hurt less than when he had been hit with a Light Spear. With new confidence bursting through his body, he smiled near gleefully and continued, even as the girl scowled in his direction.

"Being an angry girl isn't like you Ex! You're always a cheerful girl, always smiling happily with no care whatsoever! Just because you lost some pudding, shouldn't force you over the edge!" At the mention of her pudding, she growled, sending alarms through Issei's head. Her faintly red glowing eyes shined slightly, and he thought he could see something pink begin to form. "Which is why-" Issei swallowed. "-Ill buy you some more pudding!" This made her pause immediately. The feeling of death that had descended upon him receded - but only for a moment. This was the moment for him to strike, to press his attack at her crumbling defences!

"If you lost one pudding - get two more! I promise, as the Pawn of the House of Gremory, that I will buy you two more puddings for you, so, please! Calm down!"

Ex, eyes now no longer glowing even the faintest shade of red, though small pink marks remained within her light golden globes, spoke out in such a soft, and cute, voice that Issei nearly didn't recognize it.

"R-really?"

"Yes, really! What are two or three purchases of pudding to me? I have plenty of money!" Shoving the thought of his near-empty wallet from the previous purchases he had made in the market district aside, he gallantly stared Ex in the eyes, even as her Holy aura coursed over his body, causing him to be in total agony. However, this pain he ignored, instead, focusing his willpower on Ex and Ex alone.

As for the girl in question, she stared into his brown eyes, which shone full of confidence and hope, and slowly, a small adorable smile returned to her face.

"Okay!" She enthused with a quiet voice and softly closed eyes. At it, Issei let go of her and she rubbed her eyes with her sleeve. The aura hanging over her began to dissipate - though instead of going back into her body, it entered into her sword. Eyeing the sheathed weapon with a careful look, he only looked back at Ex as she raised her hands in joy. "Yay, I get to have more pudding!" Though her voice lacked the usual excitement as before, she had returned to normal - or as close to normal that she can get.

Though her eyes were slightly red from crying, she was now back to the usual, happy-go-lucky girl that Issei knew, or rather, as close to that as she can get after what had just happened.

Smiling softly, Issei nodded his head, dismissing his Sacred Gear. In the back of his mind, he could hear Ddraig congratulate him and mumbling something else, something about a Spirit, but he couldn't quite understand him. Shaking his head and removing these thoughts, he jerked his head back to the way they had come. "Then, let's go get that pudding!" Ex cheered happily as she spun around and began to walk off, taking high steps as she did so. Issei followed close behind her, but this time, with a watchful eye on their surroundings. He wouldn't want someone to bump into her again, and risk her exploding, after all.

At this thought, Issei frowned. Even as he kept a close eye on their surroundings and Ex, a thought raced through his head, however, he shook his head, dismissing it in its entirety. ' _It couldn't be him, could it? After all, why would he wander around Kuoh in broad daylight? It makes no sense..._ '

 **†**  
 **Freed Sellzen**

' _Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit-stained unicorn doing the splits shit!_ '

Cursing within my mind, I, Freed Sellzen, ran down a third side alley, before I finally collapsed with my back to the brick wall, pushing over an almost empty bottle of alcohol as I did so. Even as the bottle hit the ground and fractured partly, I paid it no heed, instead, I focused my attention to quieting my panicked breathing and glanced around the corner of the wall that I was positioned at.

Nobody was there. That was good; because I couldn't stand cursing in my mind and not out of my own mouth.

"Fuck my life, fuck that girl, fuck that Devil ass wipe, and fuck shit!"

Now, in order to explain my circumstances as to why I had ended up here, please allow me to explain in song - so please picture me, my wonderful audience, with a mic in hand and singing so intensely that you may or may not fall in love with me~!

To begin with, earlier today I was simply minding my own business, testing the fragments of Excalibur's power, totally ignoring my duty of finding that Church bitch, and as I was doing so, one of the Stray Devils I was wiping the ass of managed to ruin my saintly coat! So, pissed as I was, I kindly cut its head off and eviscerated its soul! All in the Lord's name~!

Hah, that's a brilliant joke, especially since I don't care about that old fuck!

Ahem, back to my life, as they say.

After replacing my torn coat for a new one - which came with a hood - I was just minding my business when I received a call from the old man Valper. It went as follows:

"Freed! Where the Hell are you!? Get back here with the Excalibur fragments you stole!"

Now, before you point your accusatory fingers at me, my wonderful audience, I did not steal them! I simply borrowed them, and I told him as much in as nice a way as possible.

"No way, you old fuck!"

And I hung up.

Thus, I continued my wandering act and ignored several calls from him. I mean, it's not like we're starting with our plans _today_ right?

Hm? Why was I out wandering today of all days you might ask me if you were real? Why that's an easy question to answer! I was sent out to collect the fifth fragment of Excalibur, the Boom Boom Sword! Results? There were none, of course! I don't know where the fuck that strangely blue-haired, big breasted, bitch went off to! How the fuck would I know? I'm just your local lovable exorcist who does _not_ fuck altar boys! That'd be rude. I fuck altar girls.

Ahem.

And this is what led me to my current problem: I received a text from Old Man Valper, which surprised me! I didn't even know he knew how to send those! It warmed my heart and made me cry tears of joy - until I read the message and realized that if I wasn't back with the fragments Lord Fuckabiel would hunt me down and kill me! And thus, screaming shit, I ran off and proceeded to head back to base! And that was when tragedy struck...

I didn't realize it until I was right on them, but they were there! The two fuckers! A shitty as fuck Devil and the whore sword! Unfortunately, I bumped into the crazy as fuck girl, but I managed to give them the banana slip, thanks to this cool as fuck hood!

However, as I escaped, I felt this sudden wave of killing intent aimed directly at me - and I literally felt my heart stop. Like, no, seriously. It fucking stopped. It was as if the Grim Reaper himself came and put his hand on my shoulder, telling me to, and I quote: "Prepare your anus."

It was bloody creepy as it was scary! I didn't want to look back! My body broke out in goosebumps on goosebumps, my dick shrivelled up, and I couldn't breathe! Fucking I need to get out of this town. But if I leave, I'll get hunted down, but if I stay, I'll get butt fucked!

...

There is only one option available to me now.

I must become the main character! If I was the main character, there's no way I'd lose! Like, seriously, the main character always wins through bullshit and power of friendshit right? That means that as long as I can succeed... then I'd be unstoppable!

"Hahahaha!" Laughing this out, I grabbed my mouth to quiet myself down. It wouldn't do if they were just right around the corner and my laughter drew them to me, yeah? Quickly peeking around the corner, I let out a sigh of relief. They weren't there. That's good.

Then, a sudden sound reached my ears, causing me to let out an unintelligible squeak. "Eeeeeeek! Fuck, don't scare me like that phone!" Angrily grumbling out a string of curses, I pulled my phone out from my pocket and checked who had texted me. Upon seeing the name, I froze.

"Her, huh?" My smile vanished at the name and I sighed, from what, I don't know. Tossing the phone onto the ground, I stood up. "Sorry pipsqueak, but this is where I exit stage left." Chuckling, I left the alley I had hid in, the phone's light disappearing behind me, leaving behind an unseen message sent from a girl who I had never expected to meet, never before in my life.

 **†**  
 **Hyoudou Issei**

Everyone gathered in the ORC club room in the Old School Building, well, minus Sona and her peerage, as they had some documents to finish and Ex as she had some delicious food to eat.

Or as she said: "I have a restaurant to close down early today so I can maybe fill up my belly! The pudding you bought for me might have been good, but I'm starving for some reason!" With a lackadaisical wave and smile, she ran off, to where only God and the Satan know.

Placing a palm over my mouth, I closed my eyes as I sighed. ' _Everything is just going to shit today._ ' I thought to myself with a shake of my head. ' _First I run into Ex, then she nearly kills me just by getting a bit angry, and then Irina disappears! Fuck, what's going on with today!? Is it some kind of festival for the unfortunate?_ '

"Can we hurry this up?" Xenovia annoyingly rattled off as she tapped her fingers against her crossed arm. "I want to go look for Irina - or rather, I need to save her!" At her raised tone of voice, Rias held up her hand, seemingly irritated for some reason as she breathed out a sigh.

"I get your frustrations, trust me, I really do, but enough is enough! Stop asking that every minute!" Raising her voice to match the blue-haired girl's, Rias turned her head to look her dead in the eyes, to which Xenovia matched. After a few moments of the intense glare, Rias turned towards me, holding back an exasperated sigh. "Anything to report, Issei?" Though not expecting much as she immediately started to check out her nails, I gulped nervously.

"A-actually... yeah." At my words filled with anxiousness, Rias paused and slowly looked up at me, a surprised glint in her eyes. However, curiosity won out as an amusing smile sprouted onto her face as she let out a breath.

"Oh? Then do please tell us what you found out."

With the attention of everyone in the room turning towards me, I nervously licked my lips as a sweat drop as large as a bullet rolled down my forehead.

"Well, about that... do you remember your warning about running away from Ex that you gave us last night?" At my words, a dark look appeared in Rias' eyes. She wordlessly motioned me to continue with a slow nod. "Well... I happened to run into her earlier and- I'm sorry!" Bowing my head with eyes shut tightly closed, I apologized for ignoring her warning. Though I was ready to be punished for going against what she had told us, I also wanted to avoid it if at all possible. I did not want to go through another set of spanking... as much as I liked it surprisingly.

Rias groaned, running a hand against her right temple. After a few moments of rubbing her head, she finally spoke up in a soothing voice, surprisingly me momentarily.

"I didn't expect for us to be able to hide from her forever, so I knew this would happen sooner or later... but really, Issei? It hasn't even been a full day since then!" She sighed in resignation. "But fine; so what happened?"

At her words, I looked up, searching her face. As foretold to me by her facial muscles, the twitch in her lips, and sparkle in her eyes, I managed to translate her face into three emotions: frustration, curiosity, and relief.

I smiled in return and stood up straight, believing that no punishment would befall me.

"As I was walking near the market district in town, I was lamenting on how hungry I was - that was when Ex spoke up from behind me." I paused for a slight time, thinking back on that moment clearly. ' _Uh, most of what happened isn't really relevant, such as her eating... and eating... and more eating... so let's just skip most of that?_ ' "The two of us went and ate, and she definitely has a black hole for a stomach - similar to that of Koneko over there, though it might be possible that her's is bigger." Pointing over to the white-haired petite girl with a jerk of my thumb, the girl in question hardened her face, as if preparing for war. Either she really didn't like that there was another girl in town with a bottomless black hole, or she just wanted to beat Ex in an eating contest.

"So, the two of you just ate? Really?" Xenovia questioned with a tilt of her head in confusion, her eyebrows furrowed together as if she's trying to do advanced arithmetic and couldn't make sense out of anything.

"Not completely." I shook my head and glanced at Kiba for just a moment, before looking back over at Rias. "As we were leaving, a robbery took place. Some pathetic guy stole an old lady's purse."

"Degenerate." Koneko gave her input as she munched on a cookie. I nodded and continued without missing a beat.

"Ex stopped him in his tracks quickly - and maybe broke his face in the process, but he did get carted off to jail... or maybe to the hospital, I don't really know." The expressions on everyone present, minus Koneko, lightened up at that, and Kiba even chuckled a bit. Wearing a larger smile on my face, I moved on to continue explaining the events which had transpired. "She even played with the kids in the park! Though, she was very competitive... she ran much faster than any other kid when playing tag and climbed the tallest tree when playing hide-and-seek. Not needing to say, but she won every game. But the kids seemed to have fun." Shrugging, my expression fell as the next bit was where things get dicey. Seeing my expression, Asia planted a hand on her cheek.

"Uh-oh. That expression looks bad." With those words, she sent me a worried look, but I shook my head.

"It all worked out in the end, but... things could've gone bad... like, I wouldn't be here bad." Rias blinked, as did the others, the only exception being Xenovia and Koneko, who both simply stared at me in confusion. It was Xenovia who broke the silence after a minute of it.

"What do you mean by that?" With a raised eyebrow, she questioned me. I glanced at her as I bit my bottom lip, before looking down at my shoes.

"Someone - who may or may not be Freed Sellzen - bumped into Ex, and caused her to drop her pudding."

At my explanation, there was silence. Nobody dared to move. I could feel the tension in the air, and if I had a knife, I could cut it and if I licked the air, I could taste it - it was a sensation much like being underwater. Just by looking at their faces, I could tell what everyone was thinking as to what I had just said. Koneko was, oddly, the easiest to read.

Kill that son of a bitch.

Was what she was definitely thinking as she scowled and furrowed her brows in such rage that it could probably even rival Ex's own anger - but unlike Ex, Koneko's wrath didn't immediately put others in danger.

After what had to have been minutes, Kiba tentatively and nervously spoke up.

"Was... was that it?" With a raised eyebrow and confusion evident in his tone, I was forced to look him dead in the eyes and shake my head grimly. My expression unreadable, I swept the room with my gaze. Looking from Kiba, who was awfully confused at the situation, to Koneko, who wanted to commit murder. From her to Akeno, who either wanted to make an innuendo or laugh, to Rias, who just wanted me to continue with my explanation. Asia, who didn't really know what was happening anymore, and lastly, Xenovia, who just didn't care.

"No." At the pain in my voice, eyes snapped to me with surprise and worry. "After the pudding hit the ground, well, shit hit the fan. Like, Ex had this powerful Holy aura coming off of her and Ddraig told me that if I touched it - I would most definitely die."

Kiba's eyes opened wide at hearing this, as did Xenovia's.

Rias muttered underneath her breath, but I managed to pick up her words. "Is that what I felt at that time...?"

"At what time?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at what I had heard by accident.

Rias quickly went to explain. "Earlier today, I felt a shiver crawl down my spine. It had such a feeling to it that it reminded me of light - the power of the Angels."

"Ah, you felt that too?" Akeno asked as she gazed over toward Rias, shock in her eyes.

Rias looked at her, then at everyone else, minus me and Xenovia.

"I'm taking it we all felt it, yes?" Kiba, Asia, and Koneko nodded. At their nods, she continued. "Issei. While I am definitely glad you came out of this alright, what happened with her?"

"Oh, she went to continue eating, announcing that she was starving. She's probably going to force a restaurant or two to close down early today, not like I know how much money she has, but..." Shaking my head at how much money I was forced to spend today, I continued with a nervous look. "Also, there's one last thing."

"And what's that?" Rias asked, her smile returning.

"I persuaded Ex to team up with us." Rias' eyes widened at my revelation and I hurried to apologize. "I'm sorry I acted without permission and stepped out of line, but I just couldn't _not_ do it after spending today with her and getting to know her!" My voice raised due to the adrenaline coursing through my veins, and though I didn't notice it, my face became slightly flushed as the blood crept up into my head. "But, this is good news, right? After all, it eliminates Ex as a threat, it puts her on _our_ side - really, there's no loss for us here! We can-"

As I spoke, Rias stepped forward and draped her arms around my body, pulling me in close for a tight hug. Her body shivering, her voice came out in a slight tremble. "I'm so glad that your alright after everything you did for me - for us - today. Thank you, my dear Issei." Unable to speak, I simply let my back and head be petted as I enjoyed the sensation of her bountiful gazongas against my face. It truly was a pleasant feeling, similar to that of a pillow - if they were a hundred times more comfortable, that is.

After what felt like years - all of which was saved into my internal hard drive - Rias pulled apart from me so that she could stare into my brown eyes with her blue orbs. There were traces of tears in her eyes, which at the sight, caused my eyes to widen.

' _Was she really that worried about me? Even though she knows I came out of it without so much as a scratch? I really... do not deserve someone like her._ ' With these thoughts, I could only smile warmly at her, which seemed to comfort her, as she smiled as well.

After sharing this beautiful moment, Rias decided to announce something that caused me to hear the sound of glass shattering.

"However, for disobeying me, I need to give you a punishment. One hundred spankings!"

"A-at least it isn't a thousand!" I ended up crying out as the thought of fleeing crossed my mind. However, as I turned towards the door, I saw Kiba standing in front of it with an apologetic look on his face. Shadows underneath his eyes, he looked off to the side before he answered my desperate plea.

"I'm sorry Issei, but after not being able to sleep since... last night... I feel like never disobeying Buchou again. Can you please understand my actions and not berate me for them later for not sticking up for you?" He asked with an almost desperate look on his face, to which, I only had one answer for him.

"No, fuck you!" Turning towards the last available exit, I breathed out a sigh of pain as Koneko stood in front of the window.

"There is no escape." She spoke in her usual monotone, causing me to simply bend down onto my hands and knees, tears already streaming out of my eyes.

"Dammit..." I growled in a low tone as I gave up hope on escape. "Just- just get it over with, okay?" I asked Rias, who nodded at my request, with a wickedly sharp grin spreading across her face.

"Then, I'll simply give you one spanking."

I looked up at her with surprise and relief.

"Of course, it will be one hundred times stronger to make up for the difference."

I looked at the ground, weeping in despair. Rias was truly a demon - or rather, she is a certified Devil. And though I was one too, I could not compare to her brutality. However, as she wound up her hand, palm facing me, a thought struck through my head like a bolt of lightning.

' _That's it! When I make my own peerage and they disobey me, then I'll give them the same punishment! And with them being all girls... mwhahahaha! I'll have so much-_ ' But before I could finish the thought, a blistering pain made itself known to me as the slap from Rias came through, causing me to let loose a shrill scream that may have echoed all the way to Europe.

 **†**  
 **Ex**

"It has started," I quietly muttered, staring up at the sky with dim eyes. Though not really comprehending what I was seeing, I easily connected the sight with Issei. "My friend told me - that when weird things start to happen, he'd most likely be at its centre. Then that is where I should go." Eyes shining back up as a familiar smile flittered onto my face, I took in the sight once more.

It was now night; the sun had set some time ago and the moon had crept out into the sky above. However, if one were to disregard the light given off by the moon and the stars, as well as any electronic light from homes, businesses, and street lamps, then that left only one odd light, sprouting from a source that should not exist, and in fact, it did not exist until mere moments ago.

A near perfect dome was put together, shining a violet colour with cracks spread throughout it, though this simply gave it the look of multiple pieces of glass being glued together. It rose up tall in the sky, higher than any of the nearby skyscrapers and wider than even a football field or two. Though not perfectly spherical, the only word that I could use to describe it as would be as a dome.

The words of Issei reverberated through my head once more.

"Ex, do you, uhm... Do you want to... help me out? As a friend?"

I smiled gleefully, my face flushing at the excitement that is to come.

"Of course, my friend!" I shouted up into the Heavens above. "That is what friends do, right? They help each other in times of need! And besides, I promised to assist you, and thus, I will!" Jumping off of the building I was on, I made the dome my target. I would arrive within one minute upon touch down on the ground. Though I was plenty far away that one would consider one minute of travel to the destination I had in mind impossible, with but a moderately fast pace, I could easily cover the distance - in a little over a minute.

I would be there - I wouldn't miss it for the world.

* * *

 **And there we have it - no fighting whatsoever in this chapter! I hope you're all happy, and also, there will now be nine chapters. So, when I finish the next chapter, there will most likely be ten with this pattern. But no - I don't think it will be the case, as I have everything already written out in my head as to what will happen. Next will be start of Kokabiel's fight, ending on a cliffy, then backstory, then finishing the fight as well as epic foreshadowing.**

 **Don't worry folks; it probably won't take another two months for the next chapter! Ha. Ha. Ha. It's gonna be three :D**

 **Anyway, reviews!**

* * *

 **angus281299:** _Thank you for that, and don't worry; that was the last time she fights against them! Probably!_

 **sonic:** _As like ever, thank you!_

 **Axel Fones:** _Yes, thank you! The talking and development - how was it? Not as good as the fights, obviously, but ya get what ya get I suppose._

 **Onishin Tsukitenshi:** _I answered this already, but, maybe in the future?_

 **Gen2324:** _You will learn more as the chapters come - especially with the next three chapters. Their purpose is to end the arc with the fight against Kokabiel and shed some Holy light on our dearest Ex._

 **Dxhologram:** _Definitely, and thank you so much!_

 **Ven:** _Nah man, it's alright; nobody gonna call you an idiot. I mean, you're just putting context clues together, but even so, you're still not there. But all will be answered soon, so look forward to that!_


	7. Sword 7

**Notice:  
** **This chapter is not really edited. You have been warned!**

* * *

"Excalibur!" – Saying out loud.  
' _Excalibur!_ ' – Thought. If put in a sentence with quotation marks it is stressed.  
[ **Boosted Gear** ] – Sacred Gear/Balance Breaker.  
" **Giga Drill Break!** "/' ** _Giga Drill Break!_** ' – Technique; will not be bolded if it is not being spoken/thought.  
{ **You're a Wizard Harry.** } – Ddraig/Albion/Beast/Other speaking.  
 **Pov:**  
 **X** = Third person.  
" **name** " **or ?** = First person.

 **Volume 1: Enter, the Ultimate Sword and the Master of the Sword - Ex;calibur!  
Sword 7: Battling it Out**

 **†**  
 **Hyoudou Issei**

Before my eyes, I watched the members of the Student Council erect a large dome-like violet barrier that sported cracks throughout its design, though the cracks reminded me more of a design on flooring than actual cracks which suggest a weak point.

Looking over to my side, I took a moment to scan Kiba's face for any sign of emotion, but much like when we had found Irina unconscious, he wore a blank look. Though irritating, I didn't press him. I can understand being upset at Freed's taunts, but it was probably the sight of all the Excalibur fragments he possessed that irked the blond-haired Devil.

Looking down beside Kiba, I watched with a small smile as Koneko tried to comfort him by rubbing his back... and not offering one of the many cookies she was eating. At least she was trying. On the other side of the Devil, though several paces away, stood Rias, proud and strong, as she conversed with Sona who stood on her other side. They were whispering urgently together, low enough that I wouldn't be able to hear from where I stood beside Asia, but Kiba and Koneko might have been able to hear her. Rias was speaking very animatedly, using her hands to gesture, while Sona was merely listening with a raised eyebrow and once in a while inputting her own opinion. There was a serious look in both of their eyes, causing my own nervousness to grow.

Meanwhile, Akeno was speaking with Tsubaki with a lively smile on her face, though the glasses-wearing Devil did not mirror this look. Upon looking at the side of Akeno's face, I felt a small pang run through my chest and I was reminded of what had happened to her - though the same could be said of Tsubaki who had been run through with a blade. She was originally supposed to be sent back to the Sitri territory to recuperate, but she had insisted on helping out. After all, Sona's job was merely to hold the barrier, so while strenuous in its own right, she wouldn't be in any immediate danger.

Everything was fine for now - it was the calm before the storm.

Once the barrier was finished, as its structural integrity has yet to be checked and confirmed, then the Devils of the ORC will go in and defeat whoever is within - which would most likely be Freed Sellzen, Valper Galilei, and Kokabiel. I shuddered to think of fighting him. He was previously an Angel and as such, he possesses the weakness of all Devils... Light.

If getting hit by that bitch Raynare's Light Spears hurt like a son of a bitch, then I couldn't imagine what getting hit by a Cadre-level Fallen Angel would be like. However, there is just one thing I can say... no matter how strong that bastard is, we will win! I will protect my school, my town, everyone! That, I can promise!

"Ise?" Asia tentatively asked from my side, hands clasped together and green orbs wide with curiosity. "What are you thinking about?"

Humming low, I turned my head to stare down at the former nun. Like I thought, she was cute - but that's beside the point! "Oh, nothing," I remarked with a slight wave of my hand. "Just thinking about how I'm going to punch that bastard Kokabiel into the ground - and then I'll be one step closer to being the Harem King!" Wearing a proud smile as I raised a fist in excitement, I witnessed Asia smiling like an angel and nodding up and down profusely, agreeing with me. Opening her cute little mouth, she attempted to add something to our impromptu conversation, but the voice of Rias spoke out over her.

"Okay, attention everyone!" Facing us, our King stood with hands locked at her sides, arms akimbo. "In roughly five minutes, we will be entering this barrier in order to defeat Cadre Kokabiel of the Grigori. If there are any objections - then you're vetoed!"

Chuckling, I raised my hand. Rias' left eyebrow was raised in disbelief, but she motioned for me to continue nevertheless.

"Kokabiel is just a stepping stone for my goal, so there's no way I'm not going to participate!" Announcing this with my left fist being raised skyward, Rias smiled warmly, sending a jolt through my body at how beautiful she was when she smiled.

"Not like you had any choice," she jokingly teased, causing Kiba and Akeno to chuckle lightly, with the latter covering her mouth as she did so. Eyeing Kiba, I was glad that I was able to lift his spirits by just being myself. It sent a bad feeling through my gut when he wasn't smiling, and if he was a girl, I'd try everything in my power to cheer him up. But since he's not... I guess I'd just do it half-heartedly like Koneko.

Rias continued a few moments later after looking at something far away from the barrier with a small glare.

"I've also informed Sona about our little alliance with the girl calling herself Excalibur. Though she was initially worried about such a thing, she quickly accepted it. Issei." Turning towards me as she announced my name, I straightened my posture as a wave of nervousness suddenly seeped through my body.

"Y-yes!" I stammered out nervously. I glanced past Rias and towards Sona, but she wasn't paying much attention to our meeting and was instead inspecting the barrier for any sign of weakness. I moved my eyes back to Rias as she began to speak once more.

"I thank you for being such a good boy," Rias spoke, dipping her head slightly, leaving me flabbergasted in response. As her head came back up, she held a brilliant smile on her face. "But I want you to be careful from here on out, okay? I don't want to see you getting hurt... it would make me sad."

Smiling in appreciation, I bowed my head shouting out my thanks and promising not to get hurt. She giggled, as did Akeno, though Kiba simply offered me a bright smile, making his already damn handsome face more bloody handsome. And of course, Koneko held her stoic expression as she stared at me and Asia clasped her hands together with a wonderful smile as she beamed up at me with her eyes sparkling.

"Though I would like to inform Xenovia of our new friend... she hasn't been spotted since earlier today when she left with Irina to track down Freed Sellzen," Sighing, Rias shook her head as her eyes snapped to her left, away from the barrier. Blinking in confusion, I followed her gaze and my eyes widened at seeing a familiar girl approaching, a smile wrapped around her face. "And it seems as if she is here now. I'll be the first to say it then: thank you for helping us, Ex."

The girl in question merely chuckled lightly as she scratched at a spot on her left cheek with her left hand. "No need for thanks! We're all friends here, right?" She spoke dazzlingly as she walked confidently towards us. "Helping out friends is one of my joys in life~!"

Dropping her hand, she eyed the barrier skeptically with a frown, as if she was unsure of what it was. Though initially confused, I quickly understood and hurried to explain.

"As we fight inside, we'll have a second group keeping the fight and damage contained to this area. That way, we won't trouble anyone else."

"Oh, I understand!" Smiling in thanks to me, she nodded her head. Then, looking towards Rias, she asked when we would go in.

Rias looked towards Sona, who met her gaze evenly and nodded after a slight moment of thought. Looking back at the girl, Rias repeated the gesture. "It seems now is when we will be going in." Ex practically jumped in excitement at hearing that. Turning towards her peerage, Rias scanned each of our faces. From Kiba, who was the closest, to Koneko, then Akeno, followed quickly by Asia and holding at me. Her gaze seemed to bore deep down into my soul, but I held still, meeting her orbs with my own. She smiled reassuringly, causing a smile to creep up onto my face. "I want nobody to die. If you die, you will get punished with one-thousand spankings!" Raising her voice, she addressed all of us. The idea of her punishing us if we died earned a few chuckles, with the loudest being from Ex who wore a jovial expression on her face.

Turning to her right, Rias approached the barrier. Akeno quickly followed after her and took her spot on Rias's right. Kiba and Koneko moved after her with Asia and I coming up behind them. Ex, however, moved past us to stand beside Rias' left, most likely wanting to take part in the combat as soon as possible, who nervously eyed the grinning girl. Akeno had a worse reaction, as she visibly jumped out of surprise at seeing her so close. Ex stared passed Rias at Akeno with a frown but nodded after a moment of thought and stopped, letting Koneko and Kiba pass her, and instead took her place on my other side.

I smiled at her and she returned the gesture.

With a wave of her left hand, Sona opened up a door leading into the barrier, to which we walked through. After Ex, who was last to enter, stepped through the opening into the violet barrier, the door shut, trapping us within. Though I held no doubt that we could burst our way out if need be, I trust Sona and her peerage to drop the barrier when we were victorious.

At the time, I held no doubts that we would walk away with the defeat of this Cadre-level douche. However, I had no idea of what the repercussion of bringing Ex into this would spell for the world.

 **†**  
 **Rias Gremory**

I couldn't help but feel nervous.

The anxiousness which I hid within my bosom somehow sprouted and grew its roots throughout my body, taking a hold of me in such a way that my breathing became shallow. Though by walking confidently and proud, those behind me were fooled into thinking that I was just fine; but Akeno was not fooled by this act. Sending me a sideways glance, her frown dug its image deep into my mind.

As we walked side-by-side towards the back of the school, going through the hallways of the school, my thoughts a whirl of pressure, Akeno whispered at me without looking towards me and with a soft spread of her lips.

"You do not need to worry; I've already contacted your brother, Lord Sirzechs, about the situation."

"Wha-!?" My sudden exclamation of surprise alerted my adorable peerage members, and after apologetically glancing at them, I lowered my voice so that only Akeno could hear me with her enhanced hearing. "What do you mean?"

Akeno giggled silently, with a hand over her mouth and amusement tinged in her eyes. "I've known you for a long time Rias, so I usually know what you're worried about. This time it's the power difference between us and Kokabiel, correct?" At hearing those words slip out of her mouth, I let loose a defeated sigh, to which she smirked at her correct guess.

Her words were true, no matter how much I would like to deny them. Originally, I had thought that there was nothing that I couldn't do if I was with my peerage. Of course, I didn't think I could challenge a God or even my own brother, yes, but defeating a Cadre-level opponent? It would be risky, but it was nothing that begged Sirzech's alarm. After all, we took on Riser Phenex and in the end, we won, thanks to Issei. However, after fighting Ex... after seeing the power which she held...

I second-guessed myself.

She easily defeated most of my peerage, Sona's Pawn, and the two exorcists before Sona, our Queens, and I arrived. I can easily guess that that wasn't even her full power.

If a so-called regular human can do this kind of damage... then would defeating a Cadre-level opponent like Kokabiel even be realistic for me and my peerage at this moment? After speaking with Sona, these doubts that I held were confirmed. She did not think our chance at victory was high; which is why she personally contacted her own elder sister before we had arrived. I was shocked speechless at hearing this.

Sona, the girl who loves her elder sister but gets so frustrated and annoyed at her idiotic behavior, would go to such lengths? Just to ascertain our victory?

It made me feel like the fool as if I wasn't putting my all into this at all. I did not contact my brother. That was a grave mistake. However, Akeno, my ever loyal Queen, did so for me when I failed to do so, believing that I could possibly handle the situation on my own, alongside my adorable peerage. When she did so, I most likely would never know. However, I will not look a gift horse in the mouth. I nodded at Akeno and smiled for the first time since entering this barrier, causing her to return the expression.

My nervousness alleviated, I cleared my throat. It was time to plan out our strategy for dealing with this situation. It was something that Sona and I had spent a few minutes talking about after she had informed me of her contacting her sister and of me informing her about Ex.

"Issei," I started, gaining his attention. "I want you primarily on support. Use your Sacred Gear so that you can utilize your ability and then transfer your boosted power to us as you see fit."

"Yes, Buchou!" He eagerly replied with a salute of his left hand, causing his red gauntlet to materialize on it.

 **Boost**!

The voice of his Sacred Gear resounded forth, filling the mostly quiet school with noise, though just for a moment. Ex eyed the gauntlet but didn't say anything. Nodding at Issei, I turned my attention towards Asia, who stood next to Issei.

"Asia, much like Issei, you will be on support - but for a different reason altogether. I want you to focus on healing us if we get damaged. On that note, if any of you are injured, you are to retreat and get healed." I received several nods at this order and after looking into each of their eyes and making sure they understood, I continued with our game plan. "Of course, I understand that you cannot simply back down if you're in the middle of a fight, but that is why you have allies; rely on them to cover your escape. Ex?" After calling her name, I glanced towards the only person among us not part of my peerage. At hearing her name be called, she smiled wider and raised her hand, signaling that I now held her attention. "I want you to support us as you can, but we will not hold you back. Go wild."

"Whoo!" Shouting this, the blonde-haired girl jumped up, flinging her arms skyward with her fists balled up. A look of excitement flickered across her face, causing what was left of my anxiousness to dissipate. ' _With her on our side, I hold no doubt that Kokabiel will be defeated... however..._ ' There was always the chance that things will not go as planned. What if Kokabiel was stronger than we had realized? He is a war veteran after all. He must have several tricks up his sleeve, tricks that could very well spell the end for us, even Ex.

Shaking my head of these thoughts, I continued debriefing my peerage on our attack strategy. "Yuuto," I began, though paused for a moment to think through it first. At the pause, he raised an eyebrow but did not say anything. I knew he would do whatever I asked of him, but I also wanted him to be satisfied, which meant... "I want you to be our main offensive force. However, if you can, focus on Valper Galilei." His eyes widened in surprise, but a smile quickly blossomed and his eyes lit up with a sense of danger. I nodded at his excitement and addressed Koneko. "Koneko, you will support Yuuto throughout this fight, but I want you to keep an eye on Issei and Asia. If Freed or whoever attempts to attack them, I want you to intercept. They come first before Yuuto, got it?" Mouthing a quick apology towards my Knight, who understood my reasoning as he solemnly smiled, Koneko nodded, agreeing with the strategy.

"And what of me, Buchou?" Akeno asked with her usual smile on her face.

"Of course," I nodded, placing my hands against my waist with a devious smile of my own. "The two of us will attack Kokabiel and utterly destroy him with our overwhelming power and beauty."

"Ufufu," Akeno laughed brightly, as did the rest of my peerage and Ex, though Koneko merely smiled in amusement, holding a hand over her mouth as her eyes sharpened. "Such a dangerous role~ I look forward to it." I chuckled at her enthusiasm.

After taking a moment to pause before the double doors that will take us outside and where the battle will take place, I turned around to face the group as my heart pounded within my chest. I quickly scanned each of their faces and nodded. They all held resolve within them - I was so proud of them. Looking at Ex, I could see much more than resolve within her eyes; it honestly unnerved me, but I hid this fact easily as I closed my eyes, collecting my thoughts.

With one final piece of news to give them and one last note I wanted to add, I opened my eyes as I sucked in a breath and spoke up, loud and clear, my voice full of confidence.

"Sona Sitri informed me that her sister, Serafall Leviathan, will be arriving within thirty minutes to an hour from now. And also, Akeno has informed me that she has contacted my brother, Sirzechs Lucifer, and more than likely, he will take about the same amount of time to arrive in order to assist in this battle. However!" I paused momentarily, eyeing each member of my peerage, as well as Ex. "I want this fight ended well before they arrive! I want you to show two of the strongest Devils of the Underworld our strength and power! If we are to defeat a Cadre-level Fallen Angel like Kokabiel, who is a war veteran of the previous Great War, then we could only be showered with praise! Do not step down! Do not give up! We will prove our superiority right here and now!" Spinning around, I pushed open the doors leading outside, with one final shout directed to those behind me. "Members of the House of Gremory; I order you to survive so that we can go to school once again!"

Without waiting for their words, I hurried outside. Right at my heel was a grinning Akeno who leaned in to whisper to me. "Such a marvelous speech. Good job, Rias." I smiled at the praise and nodded my thanks towards her. Behind me, I could hear Issei excitedly talking about becoming the Harem King and Ex failing to whisper low enough to him and Asia about what I was talking about, and telling them that Fallen Angels could not possibly exist. I found myself giggling at Issei's usual enthusiasm and Ex's cluelessness. It was rather cute pairing them together, but we were not here to get familiar with each other.

Eyes darting forward, I stopped in my steps. Akeno stopped to my right, with the rest of my peerage and Ex coming to a standstill to our sides. It was time.

"Issei, Promote to Queen."

"Yes, Buchou!" He quickly agreed and Promoted. I could feel his power increase just from that and I nodded, confirming that he had Promoted. My eyes then drifted over to the side where a column of light was rising from the ground. I blinked in confusion, as a haughty voice spoke out from above a moment later, answering my unspoken thoughts.

"It seems as if he's merging the four fragments of Excalibur into one. A boring concept, that has been used and reused throughout history, but it admittedly sounds interesting if he can pull it off." Speaking offhandedly like that, Kokabiel was seen sitting in his levitating throne, with his left hand grasping the end of the left armrest and his right elbow is placed on the opposite armrest, with his right hand making a fist as he used it to prop his head up. "His method of combining the four swords is questionable at best, however," He lazily yawned, causing me to glare at him for wasting time so nonchalantly as if he wasn't even registering us as enemies. "Though watching that bastard Freed kill off the rest of those unworthy exorcists was rather entertaining, to say the least, I was reminded of the previous Great War, in which I spent countless hours of my life cutting down Devils and Angels and bathing in their blood with a smile on my face as I laughed and-"

"As much as I would love spending time that we don't have happily chatting about your glory days, I'd rather hurry up and get to the point." I interrupted casually, causing Kokabiel to snarl and glare down at me. However, in a show of great self-control, he calmed himself down and returned to lazily smiling down at us.

"Who is coming?" I blinked in mock confusion as I crossed my arms underneath my bosom and slightly spread my feet apart as I leaned towards my left, shooting a glare his way.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked in a dead tone. Kokabiel scoffed, rolling his eyes in agitation as he sighed from boredom.

"You need to work on your acting, harlot. You know what I'm talking about. Is Sirzechs coming, or is it Serafall? Admittedly, I'd like it greatly if it was your dear, elder brother. I would greatly enjoy the look on your face and the tears streaming down your soft cheeks as I strike the Devil King down right in front of you. Why I might even feel such jubilation that I might even spare you!"

I scoffed and glared at the man, but I managed to speak without the anger showing in my tone, though just looking at my face will easily spell it out even for a blind man. "Unfortunately, my elder brother and Lady Serafall will not be joining us at this time. Instead, we will be the ones digging your hole and throwing your body in it. Is that adequate enough for you?"

Kokabiel stared down at me with a blank look, before raising his left hand and pointing his left pinkie out. Stabbing it into his left ear, he slowly worked it up and down as he cleaned it. After adjusting his body a bit, he repeated the process with his right ear. He then made a clockwise motion with his left hand, gesturing for me to repeat myself. Breathing in, I kept my anger within me and leaned back, as if trying to look down on him. I visibly saw him growl, though no noise reached my ears.

"You need to work on your acting, freak. You know what I said, but allow me to repeat myself." He snarled and glared, but I ignored it as a slight smile tugged at the tip of my lips. "My elder brother and Lady Serafall will, unfortunately, be unable to join us at this time, however, we will be the ones to take you on as opponents. And after we defeat you, they'll quickly congratulate us before rushing off back to the Underworld in order to write up a few reports to the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels, Azazel, about how his horribly weak and frail Cadre Kokabiel was defeated to an inch of his life as he plotted for war, quite easily if I might add."

To my far right, Ex quietly whispered to Issei as she leaned in, using her left hand to try and block out the sound from reaching anyone's ears, though she failed on all accounts. "...is she trying to annoy him, or is this a comedy sketch?" Issei nearly chuckled but managed to catch himself in time, but he could not stop the grin from spreading across his face. Kokabiel, upon seeing the look and at hearing Ex's words, ground his teeth together in anger and scoffed. Raising his right hand, he snapped his fingers, causing a brilliant light to flash out, sending my peerage running in front of me as if to protect me. Ex stayed in the sidelines, not knowing what was happening.

Kokabiel lazily caught the spear of light as it formed, which shined brightly with three rings going around the middle of it, and lightly tossed it towards the school's gymnasium. Though confused, this expression quickly changed to panic as the resulting explosion was powerful enough to force each of us off of our feet and fall to the ground. However, Ex was able to catch the ground and push against it, flipping herself around and back onto her feet. Though one look at her face would reveal slight awe, there was also a quiet sort of anger present in her eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

Kokabiel sighed, once again, from boredom. Deciding to voice how bored he was, he happily spoke up with an unpleasant scowl on his face. "This is boring. It's almost as boring as watching paint dry - no, it's even more so! Ah well, a nice little diversion might even be appreciated. Let me think, what would be a suitable form of entertainment..." Placing a hand on his chin, he began to think. In the meantime, Issei stared in shock at the spear of light, which even to now, had yet to disappear.

"A-are you kidding...?" His voice full of panic and slight fear, a drop of sweat ran down the side of his head. Though I wanted to desperately console him, I found that I had lost my voice from the display of power that Kokabiel had shown. Honestly, I had not expected that kind of power... But I suppose it was obvious in hindsight.

{ **Are you frightened, partner?** } Ddraig's voice spoke out from the [ **Boosted Gear** ] in a low-pitch, drawing in Ex's attention immediately.

"Of course I am! I've never seen such a gigantic spear of light! It's like it came from a whole other world..."

{ **That should have been obvious; you're talking about a man that fought against God of the Bible and the Devil Kings and survived! If he didn't have this kind of power, then it would've shamed them.** }

"...Can we even beat someone like that?" He whispered into the air as his gaze loomed over towards Kokabiel, who still sat upon his throne thinking.

At this point, I was able to shakingly stand up and gaze over towards Issei, who had managed to stand up as well. Looking around, I saw my other servants getting up, however, someone was-

At hearing a gasp from Issei, I turned my head back towards him, as did the rest of my peerage. At seeing a familiar blonde-haired girl standing next to him with her hand on his shoulder, I understood why he was surprised. Wearing a smile on her face that could've won any smiling competition, she gingerly patted Issei three times on the shoulder before speaking up.

"Of course we can! I only know of one infallible person in this whole wide world, and that man with the, uh, weirdly pointed ears is not that person!" I blinked at how she described Kokabiel, though the man in question seemed to not notice as he was so heavily engrossed in his own thinking to even bother paying attention. Issei's eyes widened at her explanation, but before he could even open his mouth to voice his worries, she continued with an even larger smile that sang of how carefree she was. "And yes, that person is me." Issei snickered at her answer towards the question that had not been asked, and I smiled slightly at hearing his spirits being lifted by the strange girl.

"Thanks, Ex." Nodding his thanks, Ex returned the gesture by clapping his back with her hand and taking a step away. She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward towards Issei, eyeing his left arm with a sprinkle of curiosity in her shiny globes.

"By the way, you never told me your arm could speak! ...You should probably get that checked out in the hospital, that can't be healthy." Ex, our ever voice of cluelessness, told Issei with a straight face. At first, he was flabbergasted at her response, but he quickly burst out laughing. I began to chuckle while behind me Akeno giggled as she clutched her stomach with tears in her eyes, and Yuuto even chuckled into his hand. Only Koneko didn't laugh, however, she smiled in amusement.

At our sudden laughter, Kokabiel snapped out of his thoughts with a blink of his eyes as he began to stare down at us with confusion evident in his eyes. Ex looked around at us laughing with a frown, clearly trying to decipher why we were doing so. Ddraig, the ever voice of reason, spoke out, though there was a slight chuckle at the beginning, suggesting that he had been laughing within Issei's head, or he just blotted out his own voice so he could laugh without anyone noticing.

{ **Heh, kid, I am not some kind of disease or problem that any doctor or nurse in this world can treat. I am Ddraig, the Red Dragon of Domination and the Red Dragon Emperor! Not some kind of rare measles!** }

At his words, Ex gasped in surprise. Though what from, who knew. Perhaps she finally realized her fault and will-

"I knew it! Dragons are real! So awesome!" In a display that would leave even the speediest of Knights confused and blinking, I suddenly found myself staring at Ex wrapping her arms around Issei's left arm, not really understanding how she had appeared there. Though I wanted to feel jealous at the contact, I actually found myself more amused than anything that this girl had a theory that Dragons existed, but then went around saying Devils and Fallen Angels did not exist. It was ludicrous; it almost caused me to resume my laughter.

I eyed Kokabiel at the edge of my peripherals as he tried to figure out the joke, though it was a miracle that he managed to pick up that there was something incredibly wrong with the girl hugging Issei's arm, he had yet to find the explanation to his internal questions.

"H-hey, Ex! Stop, let go of me! Normally I'd rejoice at such a touch and sensation, but this isn't the time for it! Probably! No, actually, keep hugging me, I can totally feel those soft bazongas, so keep it going!"

"Ah, so this arm is a Dragon's? Issei, are you also a Dragon?" Ex practically purred like a cat as she rubbed her face against the green jewel of Issei's gauntlet. Though hugging the Sacred Gear definitely didn't look comfortable, Ex somehow did not complain. She truly was an oddball.

I cleared my throat, attempting to get her attention. It didn't work, though Issei did glance my way. I ignored his perverted look with a roll of my eyes, and instead grabbed Ex by the black scarf she always wore and pulled back. She immediately backpedaled and slammed her back into me, causing me to let go and stumble back and fall onto my butt as I ended up tripping over a rock. Ex turned around and stared down at me with a rather annoyed glint in her eyes and scowled. It was an expression that did not fit the rather cheery girl, causing my heart to squeeze as I was the one who had unknowingly brought it out.

"Don't touch my scarf," Said in a monotone, I somehow felt more threatened than if she had simply yelled at me. Perhaps it was from the cold look or the strange way she gingerly stroked the fabric as if trying to erase my touch, but I felt greatly perturbed by such a display. Luckily, my salvation came in the form of our enemy, who decided that enough was enough and decided to hurry things along to the fighting.

"Right, well, as entertaining as this was - even though I feel like I'm missing a joke or two - let's get on to the slaughter now, hmm?" With a raise of his left hand, electricity snapped around him and with a fling of that same hand, a blast of lightning struck the ground before us, causing us to put up our guard. In a moment of clarity, I raised my voice, directing my peerage as a King should.

"Yuuto, get your Sacred Gear ready and Koneko get ready to support him or protect Asia and Issei! Asia and Issei, get back, and keep boosting your power! Akeno, to the skies now with me! And Ex, just do you!"

"Roger!" my peerage, including Ex, shouted as they snapped into action immediately at my hasty orders. Akeno flew upwards using her Devil wings as she transformed into wearing her usual battle attire, and I flew up with her. Issei ran back with Asia, though he kept an eye on the magic circle which had appeared where the bolt of lightning had slammed into and placed an arm before Asia as if to protect her from anything. Yuuto summoned one of his swords, and with the flames licking at the blade, it was clear as day that it was a fire-based Demonic sword. Koneko stood a few paces to his side, with her fists raised, ready to punch whatever would appear from that circle, though she kept an eye aimed at the two behind her, ready to run over and protect them. And Ex stood at the ready, right hand held just above her sword, though ready to snap it out of its sheath in an instant if need be, with her left holding onto the sheath and her feet spread shoulder-length apart.

From the circle, bellowed out flames as a form of three heads and a body began to appear. With brown fur and glowing red eyes, the being that had appeared from the flames and seemed to drip lava from their mouth like spit, was a familiar creature, originating from Greek mythology. It was-

"A giant three-headed puppy!" Ex shouted with a smile on her face, surprising even Kokabiel and the summoned Cerberus. Flabbergasted, I could only blink my eyes and open and close my mouth without really knowing what to do or say to such a line. To call a beast like that... a puppy... ' _Is she even right in the head?_ ' I thought to myself with raised eyebrows. "...Though I don't know how you managed to make it so big and have, well, three heads... it is rather cute. Right, Koneko?" Koneko merely blinked at being called out, though Ex didn't seem to mind as she somehow took the blink as agreement, as her smile only seemed to increase in intensity.

"Okay," Kokabiel finally grumbled out, shaking his head with an uncomfortable look on his face. "Kill that one first." He pointed at Ex, and a second Cerberus walked towards her. Ex blinked, and I felt my face pale at seeing two of the creatures, which were said to be the Gatekeeper of the Underworld and Lord Hades' pets. ' _How did such a man even gain such a creature?_ '

"Ooh, there's two!" Ex interrupted my thoughts with a smile and a shine in her eyes as the second Cerberus approached, exhaling flames from its mouth as it stared at her in such anger that it could've melted the polar caps just from its glare alone. "Come here~!" Ex singsongingly spoke, which only annoyed the beast further as it leaped towards her. As it did so, Ex seemed to smirk, though only for an instant as it quickly morphed back into her trademark smile. In the next moment, Ex's hand grasped the hilt of her sword and it appeared to flash forward in a blur of movement, before slowly making a clink as it was sheathed. The Cerberus flew forward a few moments towards Ex, snarling all the while, before it divided past Ex, its body avoiding her like the plague, as a line split down its body, showing that it had been cut vertically in half from the middle head to its tail. After a moment, the body erupted into flame, before disappearing, as if it was never there in the first place.

Admittedly, I should have seen that coming, and yet, I could not stop my jaw from falling at seeing such a sight.

Kokabiel was also silent as he was processing what had just happened. Seeing this and not giving him a chance to do anything, I raised my voice to order my peerage.

"Everyone! Attack as planned and take out that Cerberus!"

Akeno, laughing at the sight of seeing a Cerberus be cut in half so easily, swept her right hand towards the creature, causing lightning to travel down her arm and snap around her. In retaliation, the remaining Cerberus breathed out its fiery breath at the Queen, but it was not lightning that met its attack, but ice and snow. As the flames intersected the magic, the fire of the Underworld's Guard-dog froze and broke apart, surprising the beast, but that did not stop it from leaping up at Akeno, attempting to catch her in its maw.

But before it could get halfway to her, Koneko slammed the heel of her shoe into the beast's side, causing it to be thrown back down to the ground with a yelp of pain. It stood up quickly, however, baring its fangs at the petite girl, but before it could attack, Yuuto cut its left front paw off with his blade, using the flames to singe its hair and cause it to recoil in pain.

Seeing the opening, Akeno giggled as a bolt of lightning cut through the ground beside it and into its other front leg, causing it to be frozen stiff at the electrifying contact - it was just what Koneko needed to get in a few hits of herself. Jumping back at the electrified beast, she punched it in the middle jaw, before flinging her right leg up and into its chin, causing its head to lift skyward from the force. Letting her body fall to the ground after her two-hit combo, she leaned her body back and dodged a swipe of its front right leg's claws and caught the ground with her hands, using them to flip her back and away from the Cerberus.

Yuuto then jumped in, slashing his blade against the side of the head on the far left, as Akeno sent sharp pieces of ice into the one on the right, managing to blind the head in its left eye in the process. The creature howled in pain as it collectively blasted three breaths of flames at each offending Devil, but all three dodged rather well.

As the flames obscured its vision, it did not notice Ex run towards it and jump through the flame, unleashing her Holy Sword on the middle head's neck, cutting it clean off. The other two heads screeched from pain and immediately began to focus on her. Sweeping its body around to try and catch her with its tail, Ex blocked the attack with the edge of her blade, causing the monster to yelp in pain and move away, dislodging the blade from its body. Before it could move its tail far enough away from Ex, she brought her legs up and kicked towards the tail, launching herself away from the beast and at the same time, offsetting its balance and causing it to sway to the side, nearly forcing it to fall down to the ground, if not for it using its tail to help keep its balance by swinging it down on the ground.

However, in its moment of weakness, Yuuto managed to land on the head he had slashed earlier and plunge his flame sword down into its cranium, causing the head to scream before falling limp as its mouth spewed out the flames generated by Yuuto's own sword. The last remaining head looked his way, but that was a mistake.

As it did so, Koneko pounced on it, punching and kicking at it from behind, causing it to stumble forward and trip. Yuuto jumped off and away from the beast, though he had left his blade in its head, as Koneko jumped up and spun around, slamming her heel into its head. Jumping back, she allowed Akeno to blast the poor Cerberus with her signature lightning, further injuring and stunning the large beast. I quickly followed the attack up by sending a wave of my Power of Destruction into its side, causing it to bore a hole through its body as it disintegrated at the touch. The creature screamed in pain, before falling silent, a pool of blood spilling out around it. Flames licked at the carcass, before it too, disappeared.

"Whew," Akeno wiped her forehead with her sleeve, though there was no sweat to be seen. "That was fun, but it could've been better~! Hopefully, the main course is much tastier than his pets."

"If he wasn't, they wouldn't be his pets, now would they?" With my arms crossed, I remarked beside Akeno with a smirk, causing the Devil Queen to giggle with her sleeve covering her mouth. As her giggles lessened, I turned my attention back to Issei and-

I blinked, realizing that there was a third, dead Cerberus near them burning away, with Xenovia hefting up her Excalibur Destruction beside my Pawn and Bishop. ' _Wait, there was a-_ '

"It's complete!" An excitedly aged voice yelled from the sidelines, as a golden glow began to envelop the battlefield. Holding a hand to cover my eyes from the burning sight, it only took a few moments for the light to recede, revealing a blade stabbed into the ground, a magic circle around it and Valper Galilei standing near it, his arms raised and a smile on his face. "Let's see..." Scratching his chin with a hand, he began to peer down at the blade, seemingly analyzing it intensely. "With this blade, with four Excalibur fragments combined into one, its power will be huge. With that power, we can use it as a catalyst to complete our goal. Yes, yes, this is quite fortuitous of us!"

"Wait, seriously!?" Issei shouted, staring over at the blade with wide eyes and an open mouth. "Something like that... will be the destruction of our town!?" Ex whirled to him with wide eyes at hearing those words. Though there was a speckle of confusion in her eyes, Valper, unknowingly, answered her questions.

"Yes, by using the energy required to force the blades together and its excess Holy energy, we can trigger a rather large explosion originating from this location. Though the blade will result in a slightly weaker form, for our task, it is but a simple demerit." Waving away the demerit as if it didn't even matter, he didn't notice the glare Ex was aiming towards the man- before her stare cut to the blade, eyes widening and a noticeable strain appearing on her face as she grit her teeth in what could be... pain? Annoyance?

Flying downward, I landed beside the girl as she clasped her head with her left hand. Issei stared at her, wondering what was happening, and Asia approached, ready to activate her Sacred Gear. Noticing our attention shifting away from the battle, Xenovia and Yuuto kept a close eye on Valper while Koneko and Akeno kept a watchful gaze on Kokabiel, just in case he decided to try something.

"What's wrong?" Issei asked the girl after a moment of thought, but Ex ignored him. Opening her mouth, she began to mutter quietly to herself, but due to her close proximity and our enhanced hearing, we were able to hear her as clear as day.

"Too loud... four yelling at the same time, seriously, that's annoying...!" Groaning out, she closed her eyes as she slowly slid her blade free from its sheath. Eyes suddenly flickering open, she slashed the air, letting her blade point towards the combined Excalibur fragment. "Ahhh, whatever! If you don't stop screaming like that, I'll just break you!" Suddenly dashing off towards the sword, I, alongside Asia and Issei, could only widen our eyes and gasp out in shock.

Before she could reach the sword, three silent shots of Light flew past her, cutting her off, and hitting the ground to her side.

"Nah, eh, uhhh!" Landing next to the sword, was the one and only, Freed Sellzen. Placing his right hand around the hilt of the fused fragment of Excalibur, Freed smiled towards Ex, who forced a smile, though her eyes kept moving towards the sword he held. "While it is nice to see your wonderful sluttiness, I have to say: no touchies! I ain't gonna let ya just break this sword apart! That's not fun, now is it?"

Ex glared at the man who decided to keep her away from breaking the source of her agitation but made no moves to commence a fight just yet. Instead, her eyes swiveled over towards Kokabiel, who had just stood up for the first time, the throne he was resting on, disappearing. Five pairs of disgustingly coal-black wings, reminiscent of a raven, spread out from his back as he grinned darkly.

"If you desire to protect this town, then it is me that you must defeat!" Raising his arms dramatically, he created two spears of light, though he did not release them yet. ' _Is he waiting for a challenger? Then... there is only one choice from here!_ ' I flew upwards, rejoining Akeno, as my eyes swept across the field of battle, before landing back on the smug grin on Kokabiel's face.

Breathing in, I raised my voice, shouting out a new set of orders for my peerage, Xenovia, and Ex.

"Yuuto, Xenovia, Ex! Defeat Freed and Valper, and break that sword! Akeno and Koneko, you two will directly support me in facing Kokabiel, while Issei, I want you to get ready and transfer your Boosted power to me! I'm going to wipe that smug look off of that Fallen Angel's face!"

"Yes, Buchou!"

"Affirmative."

"I was doing that anyway, thanks!"

Receiving three separate answers immediately after finishing my list of instructions filled me with confidence that I didn't know I possessed. With a grin on my face, a single thought raced through my mind as I utilized my Power of Destruction to create a raging ball of power in my right hand. Pulling my hand back, I chucked it at Kokabiel as Akeno blasted lightning towards him. I heard a **Boost** below me, but I paid it no heed; by my count, Issei will be ready to transfer his power to me soon. If I were to receive all of it, I should hopefully be able to defeat Kokabiel with power to spare.

And if not...

' _Well, whether it works or not, it's time to end this charade!_ '

 **†**  
 **Ex**

It was, put in the simplest way possible, irritating!

Four voices of different pitches, trying to yell over one another, arguing about which was more superior! Obviously, the answer was Logos and I, but they couldn't possibly know that. The point is, however, that the voices rang in my ears though it didn't really hurt as it was merely annoying and stopped me from concentrating as much as I could, and as such, the only logical explanation for getting them to stop, would be to destroy them! It was sad, but there's a price to pay for hurting my ears! Err, probably?

' _Ignoring Logos, who said to just talk to them and ask them to be quiet, I suppose I'll have a slightly easier time if I'm fighting with Yuuto, Xenovia, and that Destruction sword. At least it doesn't yell... as much._ '

Finishing my thoughts with a shake of my head, I looked at Yuuto on my right, before looking over at Xenovia on my left. Together with them, this should be as easy as eating a pie!

"No, it is definitely eating and not baking, Logos," I corrected my sword with a roll of my eyes. Yuuto glanced at me in confusion while Xenovia ignored my muttered words. Shrugging my shoulders, I pointed Logos at my good ol' friend Freed. "Here's the plan you two. I want you two to-"

Just as I began to tell the two of them my amazing plan - which involved them supporting me while I destroy that fused sword for yelling so much - Xenovia ran forward, dragging her sword of destruction behind her against the ground and leaving a trail of dust and dirt in her wake. Blinking in surprise, I nearly pouted at seeing her ignore me, but I totally didn't!

Yuuto followed after her a moment later and with an annoyed shake of my head, and definitely not a pout, I followed.

Freed hefted his blade up with a grin and swung down at Xenovia as she approached. She managed to block the blade with the flat of her own, however, she was easily swatted away.

It seems as if that sword possessed a lot more strength since Freed shouldn't have enough strength to push Xenovia away. I would know since I crossed blades with the two of them before.

Yuuto jumped in a moment later, slashing downward, but with a swing, Freed tossed Yuuto to the side as their swords clanged together. At that moment, I stepped forward faster, disappearing for just a moment, as I reappeared before Freed, my sword pulled back.

Surprised, he hurriedly looked down at me as I thrust my blade towards his-

Freed suddenly disappeared in a whirl of wind.

Though I was surprised by his quick movement, I quickly remembered that one of the swords that had been fused together was that sword of speed, so my surprise quickly melted away. Spinning around, I used the flat of my katana to protect against a downward strike.

"Oh? You didn't get blasted away? I should've known since you are that sword slut." Freed somewhat complimented as he pulled his fused blade back before going in for another slash.

I parried it this time, using his own inertia to cause him to lose balance and step past me.

"Of course! This isn't much of a challenge for me!" I swung upwards, cutting through Freed's left shoulder and forcing him back a few meters. Before he could upright his position, Xenovia came in from his side and swung for his neck, but he managed to duck underneath the blade, but he wasn't quick enough to avoid her leg kicking up into his face. He fell back rubbing his nose with his left hand, but had to quickly roll backward in order to dodge Yuuto as he jumped down on the spot Freed was previously, causing his sword to implant itself into the ground.

"Whoa, whoa! Watch out- shit stop with that!" Jumping to the side in order to dodge my slash, Freed began to panic.

Or rather, Freed began to multiply.

"Hehehe, didn't see this coming, now did you?" From one Freed to a dozen, I frowned. It wasn't a feat of speed; in other words, he wasn't actually moving fast enough to create multiple copies of himself and he didn't use some technique to split his own body into two... or a dozen.

Simply put, only one Freed was actually real and the rest may as well just be figments of my imagination.

"Dammit, which one is the real one?" Yuuto questioned, mostly to himself, from at my side as he looked around with a glare. Xenovia moved towards our back as she also looked around for the real Freed.

I titled my head in slight confusion, as it was pretty obvious. I mean, only one sword actually made noise, while the rest were eerily silent. I pointed my blade at a Freed to my right and Yuuto followed the direction with his eyes. Xenovia didn't, as she didn't see my movement.

"That's Freed right there," I told him with a grin on my face and amusement tinged in my words. At hearing my announcement, Xenovia finally looked over towards where I had pointed as Freed blinked in surprise with a blank expression. He could only let out an audible 'huh' as Xenovia ran over and barely reacted in time to block her sword strike. Even then, his guard was sloppy, allowing Xenovia to push him off balance and then kick him in the gut, throwing him back.

Though he managed to land on his feet, his illusions had disappeared.

"Wh-what the flippity uppity! How the Hell did you know where I was!" Freed roared at me, swinging his fused blade up and down like a child would a toy when throwing a tantrum. I rolled my eyes with a smug grin on my face. I couldn't resist the urge to tempt him either as all good friends would do!

"That's for me to know and you to find out!" Cheerily calling this out, I moved back into my usual stance, to which Freed barked some obscenity at me and began to run towards me, activating the ability of his first sword to appear before my eyes, before moving away behind me.

I reacted just in time to block his swing. Spinning around without my feet leaving the ground, I swung vertically up to meet his downward swing and parried the blow, causing the tip of his much longer sword to stick into the ground. Then, doing a backflip, I swung my right foot into his jaws, causing him to be swung up into the air from the blow. Releasing my grip on my sword for a moment, I planted both hands on the ground as I fell back and pushed off it. As I passed my sword, I grasped it once more, before pressing my feet into Freed's gut. As he blasted away from me, I swung my body forward and swung down in a front flip. My sword cut clean through his priestly robes, though it barely made a mark on his chest, just next to his left shoulder.

Freed flew through the air and as I landed on the ground, he began to flip around to upright himself.

However, Yuuto and Xenovia quickly moved to press him further.

As Freed landed, the two began to exchange strike for strike with him, causing him to force his body to its very limit in order to keep up with them. From blocking a strike in front of him to spinning around to do the same behind him, he was hard-pressed to find an actual opening of attack. Then there was the pressure from keeping an eye on me, causing him to lose focus in his current one versus two match.

If I joined in, it wouldn't even be fair.

However, I wasn't in a nice mood, so I ran forward!

"Yuuto, Xenovia, get on either side of him; we're finishing this now!" Deciding to listen to my words, Yuuto moved towards Freed's back, while Xenovia hopped back from a horizontal slash from Freed. The two, knowing that I was, of course, the most superior swordswoman in, like, ever, knew that I had a plan, a plan that would defeat Freed. And as such, they left things to me, as if they had given their own blades to me for my own use.

It was something that could even put tears to my eyes; but unfortunately, there was simply no practical way to wield three blades at the same time in combat.

"Argh, enough of this," Freed groaned out, raising his blade as I approached. "If you can't see my blade, how can you ever possibly defend from it!?" Yelling out his strategy, the sword he wielded disappeared, just as its length began to elongate.

I knew what the second ability was, but the first was new. The second came from Irina's sword, while the invisible one came from an unknown blade. However, there was one flaw in his strategy.

"What swordswoman worth their sugar wouldn't be able to fight blind!?" Yelling this out, I blocked a slash from Freed's whip-like invisible sword, causing him to become surprised. Panicking, the sword returned to normal, though it was still invisible. Slashing down at him, I allowed him to block it, so that the blade could turn, er, uninvisible itself.

That was a word.

Then, in an amazing show of dexterity, I switched the position of our two swords by sliding mine back and then twisting it around, so that it was underneath Freed's fused blade, and then slashed upwards, causing him to lose grip on his sword with his left hand and it to be pointed skyward.

This was the moment I was waiting for.

"Yuuto, Xenovia! Strike together at the blade and break it!" I shouted as I jumped off to the side with an excitement easily exceeding that of a child's, sheathing my blade as I did so. At hearing my plan, the two immediately leaped forward. Xenovia's sword covered in a golden light and Yuuto's in a dark-red one. With a yell, the two clashed their blades against Freed's, with Yuuto slashing from his left to his right and Xenovia doing the same, but from the other direction and with her sword just above Yuuto's own.

This way, when the sword is snapped in two, they won't collide.

Freed's eyes visibly widened at seeing cracks actually start to appear on his fused sword, but there was nothing that he could do as the two warriors slashed through it before continuing their journey away from Freed due to their momentum.

Freed stood stock still for a few moments, before lowering the sword so that he could gaze upon the broken blade, as the other piece of it sailed through the air. Xenovia was the first to hit the ground, and she did so with a roll, before stabbing her sword of destruction into the ground and smiled in victory as she stood back up to her full height.

Yuuto spun against the ground as his feet dug into the dirt to find purchase against it. After two spins, he managed to stop, facing away from Freed and with an extra bonus for dramatic effect, he slashed his sword through the air with a smile that practically glowed. He was perfectly content in that outcome, and though I do not understand why, I was glad for him.

Freed, however, was the complete opposite.

Lowering his fused sword to eye level, he could only stare at the broken blade, even as cracks split across the metal and guard, before crumbling within his own hands. His grip on what remained of the handle lessened and with only seconds passing, it fell from his hands, before hitting the ground with a solid thunk, causing a crack to spread across the hilt. Freed continued to stare at his hand as if he was still holding the Holy Sword, before his eyes slowly moved over to where the shards lay, eyes wide and mouth open wide.

Without thinking much on it, Freed let loose a single word, as if he was ripping it out of his throat and throwing it around for everyone to see.

"FUCK!" His voice booming, it wouldn't be a surprise if everyone in town heard him cry out. I almost felt sorry for him; if it wasn't for the fused sword annoying me so much. But now, it was silent, as if it was dead. The only sword speaking now, was Logos and the Destruction Sword, though there was a nagging whisper in the back of my head, I eagerly ignored it due to my victory here. Freed sent a glare towards Yuuto and Xenovia - but it was rather tamed compared to the angry glare he sent towards me. However, I frowned at seeing it.

' _There's something else there, in his eyes. You see it, Logos?_ ' Though Logos sometimes doesn't bother to read my thoughts, I knew it was listening in as I thought this, as its answer came straight away. Humming, I absentmindedly scratched my chin with my left index finger, a serene smile setting in on my face.

"Yeah, I thought so," I told Logos, nodding at what it had told me. "This man - my friend - wants to die. I don't know why, but something is eating at him. It's sad... Unbearably so." There shouldn't exist someone out there that wishes to die, that is simply terrible. Something as sad as wishing to end your own existence - it can even put a tear to my eye.

Crossing my arms, I watched Freed take a single step towards me, before nearly falling over as he stumbled a few paces forward. He managed to catch himself, his left hand was being used to grip the ground as his right slipped inside his robe. A moment later, he pushed himself back up as his right hand came out, revealing a white cylindrical object that was familiar to me.

A beam of light came out from one end of the object, replicating that of a sword. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes; it was the same kind of weapon that the priests had used against me, the fake sword thing.

Turning towards Xenovia and Yuuto, I saw that they were getting ready to continue the fight. However, I quickly stopped them with a shout for their attention. When their eyes swiveled towards me, I continued. "One of you go and help Rias - the other defeat Valper." It was only logical, after all, only I was needed to beat Freed and Valper was still in the game, so why not take him out before he stops being a bystander and decided to partake in the combat?

Hearing my words, Yuuto quickly glanced over towards Rias, to see her fight Kokabiel. Though the Fallen Angel wasn't really taking the battle seriously, the crimson-haired girl was still having a hard time. However, he hesitated. It was clear that there was something else he wanted to do. Something that was also bugging him. Logos suspected that it had something to do with the fused sword, or as it called it, the lesser Excalibur. I didn't really understand, but Xenovia seemed to understand why Yuuto hesitated.

"I'll back her up. You deal with Galilei." Yuuto, surprised at her words, hesitated for a moment longer, before smiling and thanking her. His eyes then turned towards the old Archbishop as a glare surfaced. His eyes, as blue as they were, radiated an intense hatred. Much like red-hot coals, there was rage swirling around in his globes as he gazed upon the old man. He began to walk towards him, nearly stomping on the ground as a blade appeared in his left and right hand. Two different swords, one that caused the wind to swirl around him and the other flames. The wind would fan at the flames, causing the fire to grow stronger; a good combo. Nodding at him, I turned back to Freed, hardly bothering to question how Yuuto could command that of wind or fire with those silent blades.

Freed, seeing me begin to redraw my blade, smiled creepily, his tongue being let out between his lips, before rushing towards me, pulling out a gun as he did so. It wasn't the same kind of gun one would find anywhere, however. It was the same kind of gun that those priests wielded, that were silent when being fired.

However, I dealt with them before; it would not strike me again.

Even as Freed pulled the trigger, shooting three times in succession, I sliced through the bullets of light with ease. Freed closed the distance, and swung his sword of light down at me.

 **†**  
 **Kiba Yuuto**

I walked towards him, the man that was responsible for everything that had happened to me. He was the one who started that terrifying project, which served to only kill my friends... my family... and what had caused my own death mere moments after meeting my savior, Rias Gremory. I laid there in the snow, freezing, blood pooling around me. Because of Rias, I lived.

I became a Devil, the sworn enemy of the Church and Heaven, yet I regretted nothing. I had forgotten about my hatred and my vengeance over time, but it always dwelt within my heart, turning my pitch-black Devil heart to darken even more with hatred. It was always there, a swirl of pain and hatred. And yet, now, I could stare at the man before me with no anger in my eyes. No, there was something else I was angered by. The thought of it was what caused me to glare at the man.

I will get my answers before I kill this man. That was what I had decided when I had vowed my loyalty once again towards Rias, my King.

"Valper Galilei!" I shouted towards the aged man, gaining his attention. He turned towards me, tearing his eyes off of Kokabiel fighting against my friends and family. He stared at me with confusion, not quite understanding the situation nor knowing who I was. "I am Kiba Yuuto; a survivor of the Holy Sword Project that you had been apart of." Valper's eyes flashed in recognition at that, but it was clear he couldn't recall who I was. "Rather, to be more accurate, of those you had killed."

"Hm? Perhaps you are if you say so, but who are you?" Turning around completely to face me, he gazed at me with curiosity in his eyes, but he didn't wholly look interested. Wearing a frown on his face, he examined my features, from my hair, down to my shoes and then back up again. His eyes stopped at the mole underneath my left eye and his eyes lit up in understanding. "Ah-ha! So you were from that first batch of experimentees? Now I see, I definitely do! You survived that and... became a lowly Devil? How quaint. Surely, you should've realized that it would be no good for a sinner such as yourself to live on." He sighed in exasperation, shaking his head all the while. "But no matter; if you so desire to die at my hands, then I shall reward your efforts for surviving."

"There is still something that I wish to know, however," I continued, ignoring what he had said. This caused him to show me a look of annoyance, but he hastily covered it up with a shake of his head, his hand being held against his face as if he had a headache from having to talk to me, a lowly Devil.

"Very well; ask away and I will give upon you the answer as one final mercy, my dear, sinful child." I drew in a sharp breath, before releasing it, calming my nerves. I did not want to be angered, yet it was incredibly difficult to stop myself. After all, he was the reason for everything. For their deaths, for our misery, for our pain. However, he was the gateway for me, leading me into this second life that I will share forever with my new friends and family. Though it was disgusting, I wanted to thank him; before ending his miserable and evil life, of course.

"The others... the ones that were there with me... my friends, my family... were they useful for scum such as yourself?" I asked with gritted teeth. I felt the pangs of anger running through my veins and a glare sharpened on my eyes. No matter what his answer may be, I felt as if my anger could only increase.

"Hm? Oh, them? I suppose they were useful for a time, but now they are rather obsolete," At seeing my shocked expression, he smugly grinned. He raised his hands and positioned them to his side with the palms up as if he was shrugging. Shaking his head with his smug grin still lit on his face, he further explained after a moment. "I will be honest; back then, I only vaguely knew what I was doing. I had an idea, one that I pushed for with every fiber of my being. Your group would be the first and I was determined to figure out the answer to my riddle! How do we raise someone to be able to wield a Holy Sword? Alas, the answer eluded me for quite some time. After I disposed of that first batch of experimentees with poisonous gas and was thus unjustly excommunicated, Lord Kokabiel had provided me an interesting theory."

Valper paused for a moment as if reminiscing that very moment he had spoken of. I waited in silence, my grip on my two blades only increasing.

"See, I had gone about it the wrong way. I was experimenting with young children, those who could be molded into the image that I desired, however, I didn't take into account the necessary components. While everyone possesses a sliver of Light within their being, due to being Children of God, I disregarded the fact that there were those with a more, shall we say, shining core? Those that could wield Holy Swords - are those beings that are closer to Angels than any one of us. I, who loved the tale of Excalibur from a young age. I, who had been disappointed in my inability to wield even a fragment of the Holy Sword. I had accepted this theory that I had previously mentioned and made it a possibility. No, I made it a success!"

"Get to the point!" I angrily cut across his speech, bringing up the Demonic Sword that I had created due to my Sacred Gear, Flame Create, and pointed it at the old man. He looked unamused at my anger and merely sighed in mock disappointment.

"As you say, I shall skip the little tidbits, making my story boring, but, I shall bend to your whims, Devil." Rolling his eyes, he continued as he placed a hand into his coat as if reaching for something. "Now see here, I had previously taken something from each of you before ending your own lives, but I had no idea how to use it!" He took out a blue crystal which was very nearly see-through. "I have dubbed this crystal as Crystallized Light - now, you might be wondering, how did I obtain such an object? Quite simply, I took it! From whom? You and your dear old friends!" With a laugh, he revealed as such to me, causing my eyes to go wide in surprise. "But how is it obsolete? Frankly, thanks to Lord Kokabiel's teaching, I managed to find a much better way of extracting it and condensing its properties, and even on how to mass-produce the higher quality crystals, but that's a whole other tale. But, let me tell you this young Devil: by using this crystal on someone, the Light that is within their bodies will brighten. To one who possesses the capabilities to wield a Holy Sword, but not enough power to wield it, this Crystallized Light will guide their hand to paradise! If to one who possesses the power but not the capabilities? It will guide their hand even still! If absorbed into the body, one will gain the power and capability to wield Holy Swords! Marvelous isn't it!?" Now Valper began to laugh loudly, a large smile on his face as he did so. Tears could even be seen in his eyes as he began to gasp for breath due to laughing so much. A genuine smile appeared on his face as he lowered his head slightly, the light catching on his glasses causing his eyes to be blocked by light. "...Now, I have the capability of wielding them as well... My dream has been splendidly realized..."

The news caused me to lose my grip on my blades. I allowed them to dissipate into the air as I stared blankly at the crystal, as I began to understand what the crystal actually was. My comrades. My friends. My family. They exist within that crystal, in the blue gemstone that shines as if lit by a flame.

"Hm, as a token as thanks for helping me achieve my dream, I suppose I can give you this as one last parting gift," With a shrug, Valper chucked the crystal over towards me. It bounced against the ground twice before rolling over to my feet. Tapping my left shoe, it came to a stop right next to my feet. I simply stared wide-eyed down at it, unable to move. I couldn't process what had just happened, I couldn't wrap my head around how they were right at my feet now. Their essence, their Light... It was there.

"Everyone..." I quietly breathed out, tears glistening in my eyes as I stared silently down at the crystal that shined ever so slightly.

My body moved without my brain telling it to. I bent down and plucked the Crystallized Light and held it in my right hand. I slowly placed the crystal against my chest, as if trying to hug my former friends, with my left hand holding onto the back of my right. As the crystal kissed my chest, I felt a warmth spread throughout my body which reminded me of the feeling of the sun against my skin before I had become a Devil. In surprise, I took a step back and almost dropped the crystal, which began to form blue bubbles on the top of it. Surprised, I could only stare at it as Valper offered some explanation with a shrug.

"The Crystallized Light bubbles when it comes into contact with someone worthy... I suppose you're counted since those that form this crystal was connected to you, including your own Light properties, of course." He looked as if he didn't care, though he was scratching at his chin as he examined the sight before his eyes. "I suppose something like this is worth investigation, but I really have no care for it currently. A Devil being able to wield Holy Swords is of no... Wait, a Devil having the capability to wield Holy Swords...?"

Valper became distracted as he mulled this thought over, but I didn't care. I was too focused on the Crystallized Light as the blue bubbles gently lifted off into the air as they began to slowly float upwards around me. As the bubbles of light began to spiral around me, I heard them. As if they were behind me, I heard the voices of my friends, of my family.

 _"It's okay Yuuto..."_

 _"You're not alone anymore..."_

 _"You have us..."_

 _"You have your family..."_

 _"You, us, them..."_

 _"Together we fight..."_

 _"Together we live..."_

 _"Don't cry..."_

 _"We're here, here forever..."_

 _"Inside of your heart..."_

Tears poured down my eyes as their voices resonated within my being. I could hardly see in front of me due to the tears and yet I could still see the man of my hatred. However, I felt nothing when gazing upon him. It was as if all of my anger for him had evaporated into thin air as if my rage hadn't even existed in the first place. I couldn't understand why, but as I let the emotion I was feeling pour over me like the rain, I understood.

"...I see." I mumbled out in a low tone, a faint smile drawing itself upon my face as my heart pounded hard within my rib cage. "That's why..." I continued as I wiped away the tears from my eyes with my arm. A faint black and white aura drifted off of my body like miniature lights, feeling the air with a sense of ominous yet serenity. "Nobody had wanted me to chase after you with vengeance. No, that wasn't their wish.

"They wanted me to live, they wanted me to see a better tomorrow." Finishing my thoughts after a slight pause I gazed towards Rias Gremory, the woman who had given me the chance to see that tomorrow. Her crimson red hair flowed around her as she flapped her words, redirecting her body around a thin spear of light. Moments later, that spear of light struck the ground, causing it to explode and create a crater. She was facing off against Kokabiel, a Cadre-level Fallen Angel who is said to be the equivalent of a High-class Devil, but due to his knowledge of fighting due to his experience at war, he was ranked to be an Ultimate-class level fighter in Devil terms.

He was a powerful opponent, one who was clearly out of Rias' power range. However, she wasn't alone. She had Himejima Akeno and Toujou Koneko at her side. Her Queen and her Rook. Then there was Hyoudou Issei, the Pawn, and wielder of the Longinus [ **Boosted Gear** ]. Even though he had only recently been Reincarnated as a Devil, someone who could clearly be called weak, he was still standing here with them. Asia Argento, a Bishop, and wielder of the Sacred Gear [ **Twilight Healing** ]. Even with no capability to actually fight back, she still stood tall with them.

Individually, we might have been weak. But together, we were strong. All of us together, friends and family, fighting alongside one another against a powerful foe. They were here for me as I was there for them. We all promised one another that we would see each other at school tomorrow. We made a promise to see each other tomorrow.

It was the same.

I could only smile as tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Valper Galilei," I suddenly spoke up, interrupting the aged man's thoughts. He looked towards me with a startled expression, clearly having forgotten about me, but I didn't mind that. "I will defeat you, here and now. But not because of my own vengeance; but so that I can see tomorrow with my family." I raised my right hand towards him, the black and white aura that surrounded my body converging into my palm. Closing it into a fist, I captured the light. I could feel the warmth against my skin and though it burned, I didn't feel pain. If anything, it was soothing. "The past is the past, but I will not forget it. I will hold my head high and look towards the future, but I will not regret anything. Valper. Today marks the end of my vengeance towards you... and it marks the day that I finally learned the true meaning of what having a family is like."

Before my eyes, a sword materialized from a red magic circle which bore the crest of the Gremory house. A sword with gold trimming around the hilt and crossguard, with the blade being half white and half black. Ominous red writing sprawled itself out in the middle of the blade, glowing eerily. A sword filled with that of Holy and Demonic powers. Blackened light shined from the left side and circled around the blade as a white light illuminated from the right side and circled around the blade. The two lights swerved around one another, before colliding at the tip of the blade, bathing the sword and myself with white and black light. I gripped the sword tightly with my right hand and cut through the air, dissipating the two lights.

"Valper Galilei - are you ready?" I questioned with a serious expression and taking a step forward. Seeing me advance towards him, Valper sweatdropped as he took a step back, his teeth gritting together.

He clicked his tongue and raised his right hand to his side. A dark look flashed upon his eyes as the ground began to shake. I paused in a moment's worth of surprise, but I remained calm. "Limits, begone!" He roared, his voice flaring up an octave higher. "I call upon the Fairy of the Lake, the Lady that Gifts upon the worthy! I call upon the sun, I resist that of fate! I bequeath upon you, that of justice and judgment! Roar, burn up the sky, bring about Divine retribution! I summon thee from thy restraints: Galatine!"

A golden magic circle appeared before his right hand, which quickly spun around as his words continued. As he reached towards the end, the circle cracked apart and broke like glass as the air began to ripple with red. The red rippling gradually grew in size and heat, and soon enough, flames began to flare out of the ripple in all directions, however, Valper was not effected; or he didn't show it.

A handle could be seen breaking free from the ripple, blackened chains attached to it, connecting it to the ripple in space. Eyes wide with bewilderment, I watched as Valper grasped the handle, and as his skin made contact with it, the chains forcefully broke in half, freeing the blade from its restraints.

He drew the blade out slowly, as if biding his time or because the blade was resisting him. Either way, it took only a few seconds before the weapon was completely free. As the point lost contact with the ripple in space, it disappeared in a blink of the eye. Valper raised the blade and eyed the blackened blade. His grin returned as a low rumbling could be heard.

His shoulders shook and it was then that I realized what that rumbling was: it was laughter.

Valper was laughing.

"Y-you, a Devil, say that you will defeat me?" He spoke, his voice shaking with laughter. "I say nay! You are a Devil; an insignificant bug in my path. I will simply shrug you off like the pest you are! And with this blade, your defeat is absolute!"

My eyes widened as a bright golden light exuded from the blade, red hot flames lighting it aflame. The flames ran up and down the blade, but it didn't seem to burn Valper himself. The blackened blade glowed with gold and red; from the Holy aura it exuded, the flames that danced upon its blackened metal, and from the red lights that existed within the blade itself; it shined as a beacon of hope and judgment.

I took a subconscious step back as the heat washed over my from, burning my skin softly. The stabs of pain pierced my body from all over, but I did not bleed nor did I burn. ' _This..._ ' I thought to myself as I shook in step. ' _This is a true Holy Sword unleashing its full power._ ' The gravity of the situation weighed me down. I had previously fought against two fragments of a Holy Sword and a combined fragment of four, as well as a Japanese styled Holy Sword. But none of them had such a heavy aura.

This was their true power.

However, there was only one difference from me of then and me of now.

I wasn't alone.

Steeling my expression and resolve, I stepped forward, raising the [ **Sword of** **Betrayer** ], my Balance Breaker. Holy and Demonic power washed over me as I fed it with power. I was about to fight a Holy Sword with nothing held back; if I hesitated now, I would die. However, for some reason, it felt like an easy thing to do. It could've been because I felt confident in my new strength. It could've been because I became stronger due to my realization. However, I felt as if neither of those two was the answer.

Rather, it felt as if Valper himself was not a threat.

"That sword might be powerful..." I spoke up, taking another step closer to the aged man. "However, do you truly know how to wield it? To wield a sword?" Valper's eyes widened in disbelief as I continued walking towards him as if thinking me mad from approaching a powerful Holy Sword as a Devil, a being weak to Holy energy. "No, allow me to show you. What it means to wield a sword!"

Yelling this out, I bent my legs and blasted my self forward, kicking back dirt behind me. I reappeared before Valper, swinging my Holy Demonic Sword down at him. Releasing a surprised gasp, he just barely managed to hold up his Holy Sword, blocking the strike from connecting. I moved again, giving him no time to rest, as I struck at him from the side. He twisted around and managed to fend the attack off, but he ended up stumbling back as he lost his balance from the force of the blow.

I circled behind him at a speed he couldn't keep up with, nor could react to due to him losing his balance. I lunged forward, my blade cutting into his side and spilling out his blood easily.

He retaliated with a hastily thrown slash of his blade, spewing out the red hot flames at me, however, I danced around the powerful Holy Flames with ease. They were not well-coordinated.

With the flames, he could even corner me and strike me down. However, he could not do so. Because he was not used to fighting with a sword, with a weapon.

Quickly realizing his situation, he raised his left hand as he mumbled underneath his breath a chant. However, I did not give him the time to finish. Pushing off against the ground, I raced towards him faster than his eyes could keep track of and reappeared behind him. I slowly turned back to him as blood seeped from his severed arm where his left hand used to be. My expression cold, I stared down at him without a care.

This was the old man that had led to my death and the deaths of those I considered my friends and family. Here he was, kneeling on the ground, weakly holding onto Galatine, and crying out in pain from having his hand removed. I sighed in exasperation.

A boring end for a man so merciless and cruel. I walked around him so that he could see me. As I did so, I kicked the blade out of his hand. He cried out in sudden pain as his wrist snapped from the force of my kick. He flailed his body at me, aiming to somehow push me back, but, with an exhale, I elbowed him in the head, pushing him back down to the ground. Landing on his butt, the old man stared up at me in fear as blood crawled out of his nostrils. Raising my blade, I stared down at him with cold eyes. Without even giving him time to formulate his final words, I slashed my Holy Demonic Sword down at him.

 **†**  
 **Valper Galilei**

I didn't know what had happened. What had led me to this spot, on this path? Why was I going to be stricken down by a low-life, a Devil? Why, oh Lord, why must a brilliant man such as myself be killed for simply wishing to achieve my dream? Was it the killing, the immoral acts that I took upon other human children? Was it the experimentation on your own Holy grounds that caused my fate to end like this? Or perhaps it was because of my heretical viewpoints?

I simply strove for knowledge in order to acquire the truth. I wanted to know why I couldn't wield a Holy Sword, the blades that I longed for. Anything else was simply for that. Learning how to use the Light within me in order to exorcise Devils, learning scriptures from the Bible and studying which ones had a higher effect on certain Devils, learning about the properties of Light and how to generate and manipulate it.

I spent my childhood in reverence of Excalibur and the Lord. My parents were devout followers of Him, so it was simply natural for me to believe and pray every day. It was my dream and it was my love.

I wanted to wield a Holy Sword.

However, I came to find out, that I had lacked the capability. That day was miserable for me. I had my entire hopes and dreams shattered as if they weren't of any import, and I was even criticized for wailing out as I did. I had to repent, but I did not want to.

I could not bear to set aside my dreams merely to follow behind everyone else. No, I decided to create my own path. My goal was to wield a Holy Sword. In order to accomplish that dream and wish, I studied every text I could. I was hailed as a prodigy, however, none knew what I desired more than myself. Even when I was praised, I felt as if I was being ridiculed.

Thus, I stopped caring as to what lengths I had to go.

When I started the Holy Sword Project, I was already facing a wall. I had no idea what steps I needed to take forward. How do I enable someone who was not born with the capability to wield a Holy Sword, to wield one? Finding the answer out would allow me to gain the ability to wield one.

I, who dreamt every night of the day I would hold a Holy Sword within my grasp, could only feel a sense of excitement at finally finding a breakthrough through countless experimentations on children. It was that first group of children, I recall, that that Devil boy had been a part of. I clearly remembered his face now; blond hair, blue eyes, and a mole underneath his left eye. It had been so obvious, but I suppose I had been blinded by my dream to even properly remember the face of a boy that I had killed for my own selfish goals.

I had found a way to remove the Light that existed within a human and condense it into a crystal which I would later dub as Crystallized Light. However, at that stage, it was simply liquid Light. Lord Kokabiel had shared with me a theory that allowed it to harden, becoming the crystal that would be the final product that would grant the ability to wield Holy Swords.

" _If prayers give you exorcists power, why don't you pray to the Light to condense?_ "

At first, I didn't realize what he had meant. In fact, now that I think about it now, I believe he had simply been mocking me. However, as I began to think of his words back then, I had arrived at my own answer. I had previously created various techniques through prayer that would burn Devils. My own exorcising techniques that worked marvelously. I was considered a Holy Magician by some within the Church, utilizing the Light within me in prayer in order to use magic that burns Devils.

Similar to Angels and Fallen Angels who utilize Light to create Spears that kill Devils, I had created a method for even humans to defeat Devils even without using Holy Swords or the sword and gun that were created to use the Light of Angels or Fallen Angels in order to combat the spawns of Satan.

I was a prodigy.

However, my goal lied in only one thing: in using a Holy Sword.

That was all I had cared about.

And thus, I put my own genius to test - and created a magic circle that hardened the Light I had extracted, turning it into Crystallized Light.

This Crystallized Light, once it fuses with a host, allows its bearer the power and capability to use a Holy Sword. Excommunicated I may be, even when working alone, I was still able to solve the riddle that had plagued my mind since I was but a lad. And I had Lord Kokabiel to thank for that. I had pledged then and there to follow him.

But now before me would be my end. I became an old man that could use Holy Swords, and yet I knew next to nothing about how to properly wield a blade. Pathetic. I, who was called a prodigy in my advancements in the Church, was but a worthless old codger who knew nothing about wielding a blade.

I gazed upon that sword that combined the elements of Light and Dark, Angelic and Demonic, and wondered.

' _What was the meaning of my life, if a brat like himself was destined to stand here to wield a blade that was unfathomable to me?_ '

How could he do it? Was it because he wielded a Sacred Gear? Was Azazel the one that I had to follow in order to properly realize my dream? No, that was utter nonsense; my dream had been realized through the ingenuity of humanity. Kokabiel might have been the tipping point into success, but I, as a human, was able to come up with the method to success. Immoral it may be, it was still a success. I wielded my mind to work a miracle as that brat wielded a Sacred Gear to realize my own dream without even realizing it.

How does one combine the opposite? The power of an Angel. The power of a Devil. God would never allow such a thing to come about, no matter what. Whether it was by the will of the Sacred Gear or the imagination of a Devil. There was simply no way. One could not go against God's System, not unless it wasn't being watched. Such an anomaly would be spotted immediately; before it had even manifested. This Devil brat would've been struck down by God in an instant. Or rather, he would've burned himself to death simply by utilizing this sword.

No, that wasn't right. He wouldn't, and shouldn't, have been able to absorb the Crystallized Light in the first place, due to him being a Devil. He was trespassing into God's territory. He was using Angelic power, the power of the Angels, that of God Himself. It was impossible, or rather-

It was.

There was only one logical explanation that could even begin to prove that such a theory was possible. It was something that would instantly be frowned upon and considered heretical. It was illogical - and yet it possessed the highest chance at being true. Such a thing, how could it be? There was but one explanation that could be used to support it. Afterward, research must be spent on proving it. Years would go into this, and in the end, it would be proven. Because it was already known, as they would know it.

' _I see._ ' I thought to myself in resignation. ' _So this is what it means to be a prodigy..._ '

I was disgusted in myself that had overlooked this blatant fact. The evidence and proof were right in front of me. Every time I had spoken to Lord Kokabiel and mentioned Him, it was there. And yet, being the senile old fool that I was, I had missed it. Rather, I looked passed it. I disregarded it. I had realized it since long ago.

If I had to give a time as to when I had realized it, it would've been when I was a child and had found out that I was incompatible with Holy Swords. Back then, the simple thought of it would've sent me into a nervous breakdown. I would've been a wreck for days on end, catching no sleep. And yet now I could think it and even say it without feeling the least bit panicked. After all, I had already come to terms with it a long time ago without even realizing it.

I smiled.

Towards the face of the man who should hate me, but let it go after being reunited with his long lost family, I smiled. Perhaps he despised such a sight, or perhaps he thought I was simply mocking him. Who knows?

But, there was only one last thing that I could do. My final words, the last sentence I would ever utter, for Heaven is impossible to me. I seriously do doubt that even the Underworld would accept me as I am. I could only do a mental shrug as I released the words that I had longed to say ever since that day.

"God is dead."

The words were easy. They rolled off my tongue much like pudding. I even saw a tiny shift in focus from the Devil as his pitiable brain began to process this information. However, even with his lack of focus, it was already too late. The sword had already cut into my shoulder. Or rather, it had already bisected me from my left shoulder to my right hip. I was going to die, and yet I cared not for it. For I had just unleashed upon the world my ultimate thesis: that God was dead. Rather, it was simply the repeated words of Friedrich Nietzsche.

Alas, whether he knew God had truly perished or not, would forever be unknown to me. However, he was ultimately right: He was dead.

God was dead. He is dead. These were words that I had never thought I would ever utter, and yet they felt so comfortable and so familiar. Alas, I would never be able to write a proper thesis for such a phrase. Be it in this life or the next, I would most likely be spending all of my time into repenting for my atrocious actions in this life. A pity, but it is what it is. I have accepted it. Today I, Valper Galilei, the prodigy of the Vatican, and a simple excommunicated Priest, have been felled by someone whose life I had originally ruined. Ironic, isn't it? I could only smile in acceptance as my brain began to shut down. I was dead, and yet I felt no regret for the life I had lived. I was a horrible human being. I had achieved the impossible. And yet, in the end, it all meant nothing. Absolutely nothing.

 **†**  
 **X**

The blonde-haired girl lazily stepped to her left, allowing the sword of light to just barely graze past her right cheek, its wielder frustrated beyond belief. Uttering a string of curses, the white-haired young man slashed wildly at her, however, he either missed completely, or she let him cut her slightly. She made no move to strike back; because if she were to, then he'd lose instantly.

Perhaps she thought it would be more entertaining to draw out the fight, so she may enjoy herself more, but the young man knew better. She was just messing with him as she watched a certain blond Devil fight and evolve. He had achieved the impossible; he acquired his Balance Breaker, which combined that of Demonic and Holy energy into one single beautiful blade.

And upon seeing this, she was not disappointed, however, what happened next, made her smile more. Valper Galilei pulled out a sword resembling that of the sun - Galatine, his trump card. Freed thought it would be enough to defeat the Devil he was paired with, but in actual fact, Valper was the one being defeated, quite easily actually.

Were Sacred Gears just that strong when Balance Breaker was achieved? Or was Valper just that weak? Freed didn't want to admit it, but he sort of idolized the aged man when he was younger and still part of the church, when the older man had one of his fingers stuck in the Sigurd Institution. Though the lessons he learned then, and the stress caused through training relentlessly, caused him to become a bloodthirsty warrior, Freed genuinely thought that he was strong, the strongest.

However, he was quickly overlooked when the one that would inherit the name of Siegfried appeared. A bastard among bastards that also possessed a worthless Sacred Gear, but it made him just that much stronger. On the other side, Freed inherited nothing; given a failure of a name, possessed no Sacred Gear, and was excommunicated due to only doing his job - even if it was appropriate due to his extreme behavior.

Slashing down at Ex, Freed thought back to that time, when he was younger and less crazy than he was now. He wouldn't admit it, but he actually liked the times back then.

Lunging forward, Freed cursed within his head. He was just being played around now, he was not strong. He was in over his head. What was he before the girl before him? Just a mere insect. He hated this.

Gritting his teeth to the point that it'd break, Freed slashed horizontally, forcing the girl to step back and aimed his gun of light at her. She didn't even react to it. Freed pressed the trigger, and like every other time he had attempted this, the girl brought her katana up and cut apart the bullet of light. She wasn't even trying. He screamed out in rage and jumped at her, however, this time, Ex reacted. Perhaps out of boredom due to the fight between the Devil Yuuto and excommunicated priest Valper ending, or it could've been from annoyance at how this own fight progressed; none could tell, but the girl herself.

Dodging the initial swipe of his sword of light, Ex pulled her sword back, flipping it over as she did so. She then rammed the pommel into his chest, causing Freed to cough up blood and knocking him back. Due to his fatigue, he hit the ground and didn't get back up. Normally, he would've done a flip back onto his feet or repositioned himself midair so he'd land on his feet, but after fighting for so long and taking the beating he did, he was incredibly tired. He couldn't even properly fight back; his movements became sloppy and uncoordinated.

Each swing of his own weapon was like that of an amateur.

Pointing her blade at him, pressing the point of it against his throat, she gazed down at him with an expressionless face, a smile missing from her face. Freed snarled at her, yet she did not react to it.

"Yield." She said without much thought. Freed replied in the negative as he attempted to raise his gun to shoot at her.

Attempted being the keyword here.

Before he could react, Ex's blade moved faster than the wind and flew downwards, before sliding back up into the air and being sheathed a moment later. Freed pressed the trigger - or at least he tried to. For some reason, he couldn't really feel the gun in his hand anymore. His first thought was that she had knocked it out of his hand, so he pressed his left hand against the ground, using his fingers to grope around for it as he kept his eyes drilled into Ex.

However, as his fingertips touched the earth beneath him, he felt a spike of pain course through his body, much like an electrical shock, causing him to suck in a deep breath to stop himself from screaming out in pain. His left arm felt warm and slightly wet down to his elbow, but the biggest red alarm to him was how it felt weird, or rather, how it didn't feel like anything.

Raising his left arm up to the side of his head, Freed chanced a glance at it, before looking back at Ex to make sure she didn't move. A moment later, he froze as the reality of what he saw hit him, hard. His hand had been chopped off.

"Ah, holy fuck, shit, fuck, dammit!" Yelling this out, Freed roughly gripped his arm just beneath where his hand would be with his right hand, dropping his sword of light in the process. Tears appeared in his eyes as the pain of losing his hand began to hit him. Coursing through his body like blood and poison, his body was broken by the pain.

It was one thing to be cut or shot. It was another to lose an entire limb that you spent your entire life with. Freed cursed the girl standing over him, but mostly, he cursed himself for staying here. He knew he should've left as soon as he could, however, he stuck around, thinking that it would all be fine, that the great and amazing Fallen Angel wannabe Kokabiel would take care of things.

Of course, the white-haired young man was wrong.

"Fuck you, what's your problem dammit!?" He shouted at her with a strained glare, teeth clenched together due to the pain. He never felt something like this. It hurt so much, he couldn't even fully concentrate on her due to his vision beginning to blur. His heart thumped against his chest with such intensity that he felt as if it could break his ribs apart. Ex, however, didn't reply immediately as she watched Freed groan as he sat against the ground trembling.

"I don't think I have a problem," Ex eventually muttered as she placed her index finger against the bottom of her lips deep in thought. She stared up at the sky, letting the barrier that had been set over the school fill her vision as she continued. "It's just that I'm too overwhelmingly strong so everything else is boring." The girl solemnly stated, closing her eyes, as if she suddenly became tired. "I lower my strength, I allow my opponent to land hits, but one or two good blows is enough to win. What's the point, really?" However, she began to smile, eyes still closed. "But that's why I search for those like me; for those that are strong, overwhelmingly so... so that I can fight them and win. That's why - I will always take everything with a nonserious look. I will fight and fight, until I meet that person who is just as strong as me. No matter what I must go through."

Ex finally looked down at Freed, adopting a serious expression on her face, completely unlike that of her usual look. She almost became someone completely different. "Even if I have to let myself almost die, I will find that person." With those words, she spun around. Her black scarf billowing about due to the turn and her haori flowing with it. Ex walked away from Freed, without looking back once, she began to head over towards Kokabiel to join in the fight against him.

Freed shook. Not from the pain, not from the anger. He shook from being ignored as if he was nothing. ' _I am not an insect, dammit! I'm Freed Sellzen, legendary fucker of epicness! I am not just some random dick you can walk past!_ ' Gritting his teeth to the point that they actually cracked his molars, Freed pushed himself to a standing position. Blood dripped off his left arm, but he ignored it. His legs shook from fatigue and pain, but he ignored it.

"...You..." He mumbled, breathing heavily from the act of standing. He tried to take a slow step forward, but he ended up stumbling forward a few feet, before falling down to his hand and knees. "You...!" He grumbled, louder this time, but it was still seemingly unheard by Ex, who was still moving away from him. Huffing out, Freed sucked in a deep breath and pushed himself up, blood coloring the ground next to his feet. With laborious breathing, he managed to climb back up to his feet, blood slipping down his lips onto his chin due to him biting it.

' _Wait right there, dammit...!_ ' He thought to himself, stretching out his right hand and staring in contempt at Ex. There was nothing he could do. He had no weapon, yet he wanted her to stop, to fight him. He wanted to show her that he was strong. That he was...

{ **Do you want to defeat her?** }

A familiar voice chimed next to Freed's ear, but as he spun his head towards it, he saw nobody. Blinking, Freed stared in confusion. ' _Was it... just my imagination?_ ' Thinking this, he moved to look back at Ex but found a pair of eyes staring back at him. Red eyes, black swirls clouding over it. A bottomless pit of death, despair, and loneliness loomed over him. White hair gently fell over the eyes, but they were visible, staring straight into his soul. He felt his heart stop. It didn't continue; It couldn't. It was as if it was being grasped by a heart; Freed literally felt something clasped around it.

Fear.

{ **Do you desire power?** }

{ **Do you desire victory?** }

{ **Do you want to defeat her?** }

Freed's mind shut off. Replacing the thoughts in his head, was that mantra. Power. Victory. It became his obsession. He could feel it; power rippling through his body. Darkened energy radiating off his form. The eyes ingrained into his being - they seemed so familiar, yet distant. As if he had seen them once before, in a dream. Red eyes, the color of insanity. Black lines, the color of despair. He wanted it; he wanted the power that they promised. He understood now. Freed now knew where these eyes came from, the eyes he had never seen because they had always been covered. The eyes of death, despair, insanity - the eyes that promised power but at the cost of his own self.

Her eyes, of the girl he had met.

She was nothing to him, yet he felt something from her - he felt as if she was important somehow. A gnawing feeling deep down in his chest; that the girl he had found in that dumpster was worth something. And now he knew why. She was something else, a diamond. She was power incarnate. She was everything.

And he let it consume him.

 **†**  
 **?**

I giggled with a hand covering my mouth. Bandage wraps held in my other hand, I stared down in amusement at the white-haired boy from the top of my perch, the school. He was such an amusing brat.

I was so glad that I had discovered him that day, long ago. I scoffed, letting a grin split across my face. How long ago even was that? It was strange... yet who cares? I had already forgotten the events of our first meeting. I'll probably completely forget about him within a few days.

But I will remember a white-haired man that was the most excellent test subject.

Yes, he had excellently survived our first encounter, even as these eyes bore into him, straight into his soul. He became a slave to me, but slowly, it began to wear out. For the last few days, he has been ignoring me; but that's okay. It was too late for him anyway.

The **Death Brand** had been seen by him. He was marked; by death, that is.

As I peered down at him, I noticed his current state. Black tendrils that reddened by the second began to wrap around him, to the point that it became like that of fire. ' _It's beginning to activate,_ ' I thought to myself with a sneer. ' _The **Judgement Call** has arrived._'

The brand sears itself into the soul of the mortal who gazes into them. If it does not kill them, they will be marked by death; cursed to live a life that could be snuffed out in an instant. The call is the answer to that brand when it enters its second phase due to the survival of its host. When the call resounds, the accursed will be granted great strength with the price being their life span.

They will be wrapped within flames until they are consumed. They will die, enraged, their sanity has gone to the wind. A grand experiment that was granted upon me by my master. He will be most delighted by this turn of events, the one who calls himself the 'inclination to do evil'. ' _Though, in reality, he is..._ ' As my thoughts began to drift away into a useless subject, the nameless white-haired brat moved forward. For a moment, he was a blur, even to me, causing me to grin evilly.

' _If the subject becomes that strong... he might even hurt that weak crow a bit._ ' Though I had no doubt that the nameless one won't defeat the crow, he'll at least provide some entertainment for me.

' _Now then... dance for me, nameless one. Dance a dance of death itself._ '

 **†**  
 **Ex**

I had turned away from him without making sure he had nothing left hidden within his sleeve.

That was probably a big mistake if the circumstances speak for themselves. As I walked away from Freed, I suddenly felt an eerie feeling, and, as I turned around to check on his condition, not even Logos' warning was fast enough to protect me.

I held my right shoulder with my left hand, arm over my chest and a bead of sweat dripping down my cheek. A smile drew itself onto my face regardless and my eyes widened a fraction. I heard the thump a moment later and my eyes glanced over to my left, before switching back to what became of Freed, if I could even call him Freed anymore.

He was more of a monster.

He moved so quickly that I was, for a moment, overwhelmed. With surprise flickering onto my face, I had attempted to draw my blade with my right hand, but he had reached my arm first as I spun around. It had been torn out, straight to the shoulder, without a moment of thought, that I became simply surprised at the events that had transpired. I was thrown to the side, but I managed to land on my feet after a flip in the air, even if my sandals had dragged against the dirt.

The Freed before me became a raging behemoth. Red markings ran across his body, from his skin to his clothes. It was everywhere, regardless of where the 'where' was. His eyes glowed red as his iris and pupil disappeared, a true monster. Swallowing, I let my left hand fall down to the hilt of my blade and unsheathed it in one fluid motion, flipping it over and holding the blade up vertically.

' _This,_ ' I thought to myself with a hint of excitement. ' _This will be fun._ '

With those thoughts, I moved. I moved faster than the wind, faster than lightning dropping. I became light itself - and yet, even then, the monster turned towards me, throwing out its newly regenerated left hand and blocked my strike. My blade dug into its palm, lightning crackling off of it, but it felt no pain. It roared and flung me away. I flipped back in the air and landed heavily on my feet, though I was still pushed back quite a ways away. Roaring, the monster leaped through the air, bringing its arms above its head and grasping its hands together, before violently bringing them down on me.

Luckily, its attack was telegraphed way too obviously, allowing me to bring up Logos to protect me from the blow. Unfortunately for me, its strength was much higher than when it had swatted me away.

The ground split apart underneath me as my eyes widened in surprise and before I could react, it brought its left arm to the side and horizontally swung it right into my ribs, just underneath my armpits, crushing my bones with ease. Spitting out blood, I stared into the blank eyes of the monster, before the sight disappeared, replaced by pure white.

I blinked, and my vision came back - I was flying through the air, spinning around. My body felt numb.

Gritting my teeth together, I flipped around a few times in midair and slammed my feet against the ground, before unsteadily taking off back towards the monster, my blood pumping in excitement.

' _More_.' I thought to myself as I swung the katana with one arm at the monster, but it managed to duck underneath the blade, bringing its knee up to my face in retaliation. ' _I need to use more power_ _._ ' I finished my thoughts, jumping over the monster. Landing behind it, facing away from it, I pulled my blade to the side, before slashing the back of it as I spun towards it. The robes were cut, the skin was cut, and blood poured out like a fountain. But a moment later, the skin bubbled from the opening and covered the wound, restoring it to its former form within but a split second, faster than even if I had been cut.

The monster spun around, kicking at me. I blocked with the flat of my blade, and this time, I was not sent away. I held my ground. Pushing back, I offset its balance and slashed down at its leg, severing it from the knee. Just as it began to bubble once more, I cut another piece off, then the last of it. I pushed on, persevering even as the beast barked out a scream and rammed its left fist into the side of my head.

Even as I heard my skull fracture and my ear began to ring out in white-hot pain, I cut, I slashed, I hacked. Blood flowed off the monster like a squashed watermelon. Barfing out blood, my sword nearly fell from my hand as its hand punctured a hole through my chest. Pulling back its arm, it dragged me along with it, its fingers gripped against my back, before punching forward, letting go and throwing me away through the air like a cannonball.

I rose up into the sky and stared down at it in shock, blood dripping down from my mouth, nose, ears, and head. Right-arm missing left fractured near the wrist, and ribs were broken on the right side. Various injuries marked my body, and yet, it sported almost no wounds. Its healing capability was astounding.

Flipping around in midair, I watched it roar at me, before attempting to jump at me. However, it found that it was unable to, as various swords rose up from the ground, piercing it.

My own little gift for it ripping my arm off was finally sprung open. The swords pierced through its legs, keeping it bound. The metal worked its way around them, cutting into them like barbed wiring. Each blade that pierced it produced a separate blade that went through it at another angle. Though it was unlikely that it would hold it for long, it was better than nothing.

My eyes shot wide open, a familiar voice ran through my ears.

' _It wants... help!_ ' I ended up thinking to myself as my eyes searched for it, finally spotting the weapon somehow being dragged through the air. Mouth agape, I watched uselessly as Galatine flew into the hand of the monster before it used its flame and heat to melt apart the weapons I had created to trap it. I almost felt like clicking my tongue, but I held myself back.

I landed on the ground finally, just as the beast began to swipe the rest of the blades away from it, eyes turning back to me as the rest of the swords were gone. Growling, the beast launched itself towards me. Just as its feet exploded against the ground, my eyes chanced a glance towards my right arm.

Looking back, I noticed that it was now several meters from me and Galatine was raised up. Deciding to forego privacy, I asked the sword what its owner's intent was - and was repaid with the answers I sought.

Grinning, I pulled Logos back, acting as if I was going to meet the monster in a clash of blades. However, just as it swung its blade down, I sidestepped out of the way instead, allowing Galatine to swing past me and into the ground, causing the earth to tremble and the ground to explode. As the dirt clouded our visions, I jumped up and over it, kicking it in the back of its head, and flung myself towards where my discarded arm lay. The monster yelled out from annoyance and reached out towards me with its left arm. Listening to Galatine, I raised my legs and flipped through the air so that I was facing the beast and slashed out with Logos. The monster roared back as the fingers on its left hand were cut clean off and I continued flying through the air away from it.

Spinning back around, I landed against the ground at a skid. I quickly regained my balance and hurried forward towards my arm. Hearing a warning behind me, I stopped just as the monster landed in front of me, breaking apart the ground and sending my arm skyward. Turning towards me with a snarl, it slashed at me with Galatine lit aflame. Ignoring this, I jumped over the monstrosity and planted my feet against the raised earth behind it. Pushing off from that, I created a sword on the ground before me and the monster, raising it to just past my level. The monster roared at me, but I ignored the flames that licked against my feet.

Swinging its blade upward, it managed to nick me in the thigh, just as I reached the blade that jutted out of the ground like an obelisk. Planting my feet in it and ignoring the cut, I spun around and jumped off, creating another blade through the raised earth that I used as a platform. Landing on the large blade with a roll, I looked up at the arm that now began to fall back down. Below me, the beast yelled and Galatine told me to jump.

Trusting the sword, I focused the strength in my legs and jumped. The blade cracked at my jump but shattered when the monster cut through it with Galatine. Narrowly dodging its attack, I sheathed my blade and reached out for my arm. Successfully retrieving it, I spun around so that my front faced the ground with my knees pulled up to my stomach, I pressed the end of my right arm against my shoulder. Blades emerged out of my shoulder and arm, connecting the two together, before snapping it in place. Several smaller blades emerged out of my skin, stitching the arm back to my shoulder.

After a moment, the blades disappeared in soft, blue light. Flipping around once more, I tried to flex my right arm, but found that it wouldn't move. ' _Still numb, huh?_ ' I thought to myself nonchalantly as the monster lunged at me as I fell. I made only the barest of effort to twist my body around to dodge and ended up with a cut through my shoulder.

' _Even if the skin and muscle get torn, and even if the bone gets scraped, no feeling... Definitely numb. It'll take a sec._ ' With that thought, I spun around midair and planted my feet against the back of the monster and pushed off from it, launching it through the air and into the ground as I gracefully flipped through the air and landed on my feet.

Flexing my arm, I slowly opened my hand and closed it a few times before breathing out a sigh of relief. It was my first time losing a limb, so even I was worried as to what would happen, but it seems to be healed up correctly. Grinning, I unsheathed Logos, taking a stance.

Moving my left leg forward, I dragged my right back and turned the foot so the toes faced to my right. I gripped the handle with my right hand, with the blade facing out from my right shoulder, my left in front of me as I stared over it and at the behemoth. My left hand was positioned on the right of my right hand, palm open and just over it. My eyes steeled and my grin faded. Absolute confidence and concentration exuding from me, a white blanket seemed to hover around me, as if concentration itself took a physical form.

My senses raised, time seemed to slow. The beast screeched out a reply as lightning crackled against my blade, joined by flame. Raising Galatine, which cried out in pain at the rough grip of the monster, the beast began its run. One step. Two step. Three.

Before I knew it, my thoughts drifted away from the battle, yet my excitement remained. Images bristled through my mind, of what I knew not. I saw the sword before me - Galatine. I saw a blond-haired man wearing white armor wielding it, I saw a woman gifting it. I saw the sun and the blade within.

I knew what I was staring at as if I had used it once before, rather, if I had birthed it. The sword before me; it was crying out in pain. It did not wish to be wielded by the man before me, by that monster. It didn't want to be wielded by that older man, by Valper. Out of the ones that are gathered here before it, it could only think of three wielders.

Xenovia.

Yuuto.

Me.

Three images passed through my head, but I rejected one. The only blade for me was Logos. Galatine seemed to understand that, and as such, it decided that its next owner would be either Xenovia or Yuuto. Of course, there was the situation it would end up being brought somewhere else, for someone else to utilize. But if it had to choose... I decided to help it.

I would pass the blade on to one of them, it would be a nice gift. For them, and for me. They would become stronger so that I can fight them. It would be a win-win.

I smiled.

My gaze drifted back to the beast, back to Freed. His form didn't really change. He still looked the same, but he was not the same. He had no thoughts. He was just a mindless animal now. The red markings on his body - they were to blame. Freed was dead; though he would always remain a friend within my heart, I knew what must happen. His healing might be incredible, but I was me.

I would never lose.

I will never lose.

The monster finally reached me, and yet, it seemed so far away. It felt as if I was gazing at a target on the other end of the road, it felt that small and distant. Yet, I knew my blade would reach. With lightning slithering across my blade and flame drifting off my blade, this next attack would be much stronger than normal. Then again, it was basically an instant-kill when utilized correctly, so what was the difference?

Smirking at the end result, my gaze changed. Gone was the joking me, the nonserious swordswoman. Finally, for the first time since I could remember, I let a small piece of the real me loose.

Eyes hardening in danger, my muscles stiffened slightly and my heartbeat ceased. There was nothing. It was all, everything, returned to zero, to nothing. In this space filled with stars, there was only me, Logos, the monster, and Galatine. Eyes closed, I drew a path. The first was a diagonal line from top right to bottom left. The second path was vertical, though with a slight slant, from the left of the top middle to the right of the bottom middle. The second path intersected the other two, a horizontal line slanted upwards, from the left to the right.

Eyes opening, I followed through.

One moment, the beast was roaring, slowly swinging Galatine down at me.

The next, it was chopped into five pieces.

I slowly slid my blade into its sheath, muttering three words.

" **Triple Slash Blade.** " I looked down at the monster in pieces, before breathing out a sigh of relief mixed with excitement. "That was fun! Really, and after I said all of that earlier... if you had such a suicidal technique... why did you use it? Why did you kill yourself... It's sad..." Breathing out in disappointment, I turned around. The body was smoldering and cracking apart like ash; it wasn't reforming in any way. The monster was dead, completely. Freed was dead. "Goodbye, Freed," I announced, before walking forward. "You were a good friend."

* * *

 _Sniff, sniff, so sad... So sad that such a good character died, so much character development, and let's just forget about how I slid this in here sooooo late. Let's ignore that I haven't updated in years, like, it totally felt like years._

 _Anyway, how're you guys doing!? In the time span it took for me to get from chapter six, to chapter seven, I have appeared to have gained a total of... 145 follows and 109 favorites! Shit, you guys are into this crap!? I-I mean... have you read my name!? 51 REVIEWS!? SO MANY PEOPLE ASKING FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER AND TO PLEASE CONTINUE AND EVEN SOME PMS FUUUUUUCK. OVER 10000 VIEWS!? WHO ARE YOU GUYS AND WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO KIDNAP ME!?_

 _Ahem. Now, if you know, I do have an account on DxDFanon, the uh, fandom site for DxD, where people post their own ideas and stories and whatnot. You can find this story on there rather easily, just type in Deus Vult on the search bar and you'll get it. Though be warned; there will be TONS of spoilers. I have been working, very busily if I might add! Like, seriously. I'm practically done with the entire first part of this series. I have the next NINE ARCS ALREADY THOUGHT UP FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! So many characters and other such things written up (some of which I've been lazy to do)._

 _A.N.Y.W.A.Y._

 _If you WANT to be SPOILED you may look. If you want to keep with the mysteries, DON'T LOOK FOR EX'S SAKE! You'll get ruined. Your innocence lost._

 _Ahem._

 _Reviews, yeah? WAIT, WHY THE FUCK ARE THERE SO MANY-_

* * *

 **DarkDrawerJ:** _Yeah, I never really liked how everyone just ended up in Rias' peerage either, it was just... not very, you know, original? I like seeing and doing new things, even if I take a similar pattern to another person, I always like to add in my own flares. It's just more fun that way._

 **Dxhologram:** _Sometimes I get tired of fighting... Wait, I'm me, so more fighting please, I'm actually somewhat decent at that! And I'm glad you enjoyed the no-fighting allowed chapter, caused... they're going to be more of that in the future... And yes, there is a reason for why her sword is called Logos, which will be found out... soon! Maybe! The swords she hears say a lot of things, really. A lot about what their user is going to do, for example, and what kind of person they like cutting into. They also like holding their own version of a dick-measuring contest, but Ex doesn't talk about that; cause Logos and her are obviously superior. Thanks mate, you'll surely enjoy what happens in the next arc and you'll be surprised next chapter, releasing in two years!_

 **Gen2323:** _Yep, I try. I just withhold information that I already know all about, and will slowly feed you it... until two years in the future, I release the next chapter, and then you go "surprised Pikachu" meme face. Also, thanks!_

 **no name:** _She doesn't know shit cause that's what the plot demands of her! Of course, there is plot for that too, which will be figured out the cause of later. Also, what is your name? Archer?_

 **Doortolight47:** _Thanks, and you're getting there. But, will you figure out... before the next chapter? RELEASING IN TWO YEARS! This joke will never die._

 **Radagast1:** _Goos._

 **SkullWolfSteam:** _Thank you! I can't wait for everyone's reactions in TWO YEARS TIME JOKE CENTER HERE WE GO!_

 **Ven:** _Yeah, it's alright man. Thanks for that, and I'll try and get better at no fighting scenes. Talking it... difficult for an anti-social nut like me._

 **Heron:** _In a variant, probably._

 **Jared:** _You will find out who those two are later down the road._

 **Yensen:** _Kids are fun to destroy in games, yes._

 **Oran:** _She will definitely make an impact... sooner than you think, but not in the way you believe._

 **Perry:** _Three months evolves into... four months, almost five, but next goal is two years. That'd be ridiculous._

 **Nema:** _The original idea for "instant step" was actually from something else; from Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry from the "Nukiashi" or "trackless step". They're rather similar techniques, to be fair._

 **Hinata:** _Exactly; but they are Devils. They are prideful, so even if they get a slap, they still might not act... or in this case, Rias didn't act. Akeno acted for her, just like in canon, however, Sona acted as well. Ooh, things change._

 **Journey to the End:** _I like your name, bud. I'm pretty sure I answered this in a pm, so I won't do any answering here... cause it's long. Yeah, that's what she said._

 **Nevan:** _Yep, you are right in the meaning of "Deus Vult" and its implications. But, you're definitely not thinking of WHAT specifically it'd be. And yeah, I'm not a romantic guy, so let's keep that for later, mhm?_

 **Kono:** _Yes, Ex will fight people like that. And yes, Ex just did that._

 **Zanhcrow:** _I have gosh darn it! Now, just wait two years._

 **Meito:** _I'll just say, cause the review was quite long and it's almost 9 in the morning and I'm riding on no sleep and have a few things to do today before going to work, meaning I will probably get no sleep, that Cao Cao will get plenty of character development. He is one of my three favorite male characters in DxD, alongside Sairaorg and Vali, so he'll definitely get some work when he gets introduced. Look forward to that!_

 **Guest:** _Yes, it would._

 **Nen:** _I won't straight up say it is her, buuuut... and yeah, Ex will get more focus in arc 2 and later, especially in character development at parts that will flesh out her character and make her "evolve"._

 **CrimsonPyre:** _Poo._

 **Meek:** _I know! I updated, so don't hate me!_

 **CrimsonPyre:** _Poo._

 **Nina:** _I haven't read the Book of Five Rings, but I might see about it to see if I could work it into the plot at a much later date._

 **CrimsonPyre:** _I'd ship Saji and her if I didn't already have the ship for Ex set. If you can answer me the real identity of the man that the "mysterious girl introduced in this chapter that has a small relation to Freed" said calls himself "the inclination to do evil" is, then I'll tell you who the ship is. Same goes for anyone that guesses it; but I doubt y'all will cause you're all a bunch of flowers._

 **Kensei:** _That's deep man._


	8. 9219

Hey guys, sorry this isn't an actual chapter for the series, but I decided to at least inform y'all on what's going on.

I deliberated a bit in saying this since it's been a bit more than a month since the last chapter, but I decided that not doing so wouldn't be fair for those of you who eagerly await reading this story (even though I don't know why you stick around).

Earlier the other day (9/2/19) at between 6 to 8 in the afternoon, whilst I was watching the Youjo Senki movie, my precious little dog, Julie, passed away beside me. I had planned on giving her a bath after it ended and when it did, well... I drew up a bath and after stopping the water, I went to fetch her.

Earlier during the movie, perhaps in the movie of it, making it around 7 in the afternoon, I had felt her stretch her legs out a bit, so I made room for her. I looked over at her too; I think... that that was when she went.

In any case, I plan on burying her later on once the sun comes back up. Though I haven't been able to sleep, I hope that I can go to bed and stay there (I've gotten up twice already). She's always slept beside me in bed and always woke up next to me, so I can't comprehend how I would be able to go to sleep or wake up from now on.

I plan on taking a break of unknown length and just reflect on things, I don't know. I'll answer any and all pms you send and will read any reviews that are left on this chapter. When I come back, it will be in the form of a chapter, or maybe a new story, I don't know. I have been working on a separate fanfic titled - DxD: Black Ice, Fallen Church - but right now, I'm just gonna put it down for a while. Same with this one.

I hope you all continue to support the undeserving me, and perhaps, I'll be back with a wonderful chapter that will be fantastic; at that time, this short message will be deleted.

Thank you all for reading this story. Hopefully, I will not disappoint you all next time.


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